One week removed from the 2026 NFL Draft, the NFL’s grades are in for the AFC North, and the Cincinnati Bengals find themselves in the middle of the pack despite being widely considered one of the biggest winners of draft weekend.

The Bengals entered the draft with eight picks headlined by the 10th overall selection after finishing with the 10th worst record in 2025. Cincinnati went on to trade its top pick to the New York Giants in exchange for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence before the draft.

That left general manager Duke Tobin with seven picks, which he used to address defense, the offensive line, wide receiver, and tight end. The NFL’s official grade for that haul: a B.

The Bengals used their seven picks on EDGE Cashius Howell (Round 2, No. 41), CB Tacario Davis (Round 3, No. 72), C Connor Lew (Round 4, No. 128), WR Colbie Young (Round 4, No. 140), OT Brian Parker II (Round 6, No. 189), TE Jack Endries (Round 7, No. 221), and DT Landon Robinson (Round 7, No. 226). 

Howell addresses the pass rush left vacant by Trey Hendrickson’s departure; Davis adds rare length at cornerback. Lew provides future depth at center behind a healthy Ted Karras, while Young is expected to compete immediately at the No. 3 receiver spot.

While the bulk of Bengals fans will be pleased with the front office’s decision-making at the draft, their AFC North rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens also earned good grades.

Pittsburgh opened with OT Max Iheanachor out of Arizona State in Round 1, then traded up to grab Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard in Round 2, before selecting Penn State quarterback Drew Allar, Georgia cornerback Daylen Everette, and Iowa guard Gennings Dunker in Round 3.

Day 3 added Iowa return specialist Kaden Wetjen, Indiana fullback Riley Nowakowski, Notre Dame defensive end Gabriel Rubio, and Oklahoma safety Robert Spears-Jennings, with Navy running back Eli Heidenreich closing the class. The Steelers fortified their offensive line, added a quarterback of the future in Allar, and gave their passing attack a legitimate weapon in Bernard.

Cleveland came in with three of the first 39 picks and used them decisively, OT Spencer Fano at No. 9, WR KC Concepcion at No. 24, and WR Denzel Boston at No. 39. They followed with S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren at No. 58, then added OT Austin Barber in the third round to further reinforce the offensive line. 

Cleveland aimed to build its offensive infrastructure around its saturated quarterback room headlined by Deshaun Watson and Shadeur Sanders, giving the passing game the weaponry it lacked in 2025. 

Baltimore opened with guard Olaivavega Ioane out of Penn State at No. 14. He is the first interior lineman ever drafted in the top half of the first round by the Ravens, and he brings another layer of protection for Lamar Jackson. They followed with edge rusher Zion Young, wide receivers Ja’Kobi Lane and Elijah Sarratt, tight ends Hibner and Cueavas, running back Adam Randall, and punter Eckley across Days 2 and 3. 

PFF graded Baltimore’s class sixth overall in wins above average added, thanks largely to its late-round steals in Michigan DT Rayshaun Benny (ranked 94th, picked 250th) and Duke CB Chandler Rivers (ranked 83rd, picked 162nd).