Cincinnati Bengals Stack 2026 Draft Class With High-Floor Athleticism Talents

The Bengals built a highly athletic 2026 NFL Draft class this past weekend. According to Math Bomb, six of Cincinnati's seven draft picks posted a Relative Athletic Score of at least 8.13 this cycle.

Auburn center Connor Lew was rehabbing an injury, so he did not test, but everyone else popped up on the page with their athletic skills. They even added a UDFA linebacker in Jack Dingle with a 9.82 RAS.

There are measurable questions here, and off-field decision issues there, but all in all, Cincinnati opted to get a high athletic floor for all their newest picks this past weekend.

Athleticism All Over

Cincinnati Bengals third round pick Tacario Davis holds his jersey at a press conference during the 2026 NFL Draft, Saturday, April 25, 2026, at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati. | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor was thrilled with the overall makeup of the class.

"They all have a lot of upside. That's just the cleanest way I can say it," Taylor said on Saturday. "I do think they are all really talented players. We brought them in here because we see a high ceiling — a high upside — with all of those guys. I'm excited about the whole group."

Cincinnati rolled with three defensive players and four offensive players in this order: EDGE Cashius Howell, CB Tacario Davis, G/C Connor Lew, WR Colbie Young, G/C Brian Parker II, TE Jack Endries, and DT Landon Robinson.

"All in all, I thought we did a heck of a job," Taylor said to start his closing presser. "I'm really pleased with the job our scouting staff did. They did a lot of work on these guys. I thought it was a great collaboration between them and the coaching staff. And so, we're really excited about this group that we added over these last three days. They are really going to help our football team. You don't always get to hit every single area, but that's just the way it is. We took a lot of great players that we have conviction in. The scouts did a lot of great work on these guys, and we're happy to make them all Bengals and get to work."

If this squad stays healthy, they are primed to not only get back to the playoffs but also firmly contend for the AFC. They boast a top-3 quarterback in the sport, full coaching continuity, a third-place schedule, a full returning offensive line, and a completely remade defense top to bottom.

The ball is in Joe Burrow's court to stay healthy and maximize a roster that has exhausted nearly every salary cap resource available. Burrow has arguably never had more talent around him during his NFL career.

Check out the full RAS scores from Math Bomb below:

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