As a lead-up to the 2023 NFL draft, we’ve broken down the current depth chart of every NFL team and identified the biggest draft and team needs for the Cincinnati Bengals.
You can find additional team-by-team draft needs articles and other draft content on our 2023 NFL Draft hub.
Who did the Bengals pick in the NFL Draft?
The Cincinnati Bengals selected Myles Murphy (EDGE, Clemson) with the 28th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Bengals added DJ Turner (CB, Michigan) with the No. 60 pick.
Cincinnati selected Jordan Battle (S, Alabama) with the 95th pick.
Bengals Draft Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2023
- Tight End
- Defensive Back
- Running Back
What Picks do the Cincinnati Bengals have in 2023?
The Cincinnati Bengals have seven picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, including:
- Round 1 (28)
- Round 2 (60)
- Round 3 (92)
- Round 4 (131)
- Round 5 (163)
- Round 6 (206)
- Round 7 (246)
Cincinnati Bengals Draft Capital Stats
Our Sharp Draft Value Rank is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.
This is based on two public models: performance delivered based on draft slot (the AV model created by Chase Stuart) and contractual earnings in non-rookie deals based upon draft slot (the OTC model created by Brad Spielberger and Jason Fitzgerald).
- Bengals Sharp Draft Value Rank: 26 of 32 teams
- Bengals AV Model Draft Value Rank: 26 of 32 teams
- Bengals OTC Model Draft Value Rank: 25 of 32 teams
Cincinnati Bengals Draft Value vs Other Teams:
The Bengals’ draft value is 22% lower than the league average of all 32 teams. 25 other teams have higher draft value entering the 2023 NFL Draft.
Cincinnati Bengals Draft Prediction:
The Bengals are predicted to draft Michael Mayer (TE, Notre Dame) with their 1st round pick (#28 overall) according to the most recent mock draft from Ryan McCrystal.
Another mock draft expert, Brendan Donahue, has the Bengals predicted to draft Jahmyr Gibbs (RB, Alabama) with their 1st round pick according to his most recent mock draft.
Cincinnati Bengals Strength of Schedule, 2023
The Cincinnati Bengals have the 15th easiest NFL strength of schedule for the 2023 NFL season.
Cincinnati Bengals Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Rich Hribar breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the Cincinnati Bengals, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
2022 Cincinnati Bengals Offensive Rankings
Quarterback Depth Chart, Bengals:
- Joe Burrow
- Jake Browning
The Bengals are in great hands with Joe Burrow.
Burrow closed the year seventh among all quarterbacks in expected points added per dropback (0.10), sixth in success rate (47.4%), third in touchdown passes (35), and second in completion rate (68.3%).
Cincinnati has appeared in the Conference Championship in back-to-back seasons.
They have won five postseason games over the past two seasons, the same number of postseason wins they had from 1981 up until acquiring Burrow.
The next element in play for the franchise is extending Burrow.
2023 is the final cheap year on his contract before the $29.5 million fifth-year option kicks in in 2024.
The Bengals have one of the shakiest backup situations in the league, but Brandon Allen remains a free agent should the Bengals want to keep the continuity they had the past three seasons behind Burrow.
Allen has made six starts with the Bengals, going 1-5 in those games. Jake Browning has not played an NFL snap.
Running Back Depth Chart, Bengals:
- Joe Mixon
- Chris Evans
- Trayveon Williams
There is enough smoke surrounding the Bengals this offseason that we have a good idea this part of the depth chart is far from finished.
There have been rumors circulating of a potential release of Joe Mixon this offseason as he has found himself near the wrong side of the law on multiple occasions since January. Ultimately, neither circumstance escalated to actual punishment for Mixon.
If the Bengals were to release Mixon this offseason, he would cost them $5.5 million in dead cap space ($2.75 million over the next two seasons if released after June 1st).
The Bengals have a softer out on Mixon’s contract after this season ($2.75 million dead cap) when they really have to start sinking some money into big contract extensions elsewhere.
Given their current depth chart, Mixon may still have enough runway to stay in place, but we also could see the team attempt to restructure his contract or ask him to take a pay cut prior to any threat of his actual release if things escalated to that degree.
Unfortunately, Mixon was not very good last season on top of things.
Despite leading the league in percentage of runs to come against light boxes (42.2%), Mixon averaged:
- 3.9 yards per carry (36th among all backs with 100 or more carries)
- 2.61 yards after contact per carry (39th)
- 8.4% of his carries went for 10 or more yards (34th)
Mixon rushed for 100 yards in just two games. Over the back half of the season, Mixon was outplayed at times by Samaje Perine, who posted higher efficiency metrics across the board.
On a positive note, as a byproduct of the amount of two-high coverages Cincinnati saw last season, Mixon set career-highs in targets (75), receptions (60), and receiving yards (441).
Behind Mixon, Chris Evans (35 touches) and Trayveon Williams (55 touches) have combined for 90 career touches.
Evans has been a player the fanbase wants to see used in a higher capacity. The departure of Perine clears a path for
Evans in his third NFL season, but the Bengals also have next to zero contractual depth here.
Evans has two seasons remaining on his rookie contract while Mixon has one year remaining on his current contract should he make it through this offseason.
The Bengals have been near multiple rumors surrounding adding a running back. Whether that happens via the remaining free agents or during the NFL Draft, we should expect more competition on this depth chart.
Wide Receiver Depth Chart, Bengals:
- Ja’Marr Chase
- Tee Higgins
- Tyler Boyd
- Trenton Irwin
- Stanley Morgan
- Trent Taylor
- Kwamie Lassiter
The Bengals have one of the best wide receiver triumvirates in the league, but they are a good example of how no NFL team can have enough firepower at the position.
Over the past two seasons, all of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd have missed time. In all of those instances, the shallow depth here has come to light.
With all three wideouts on the field the past two seasons, the Bengals have averaged 5.9 yards per offensive play.
When any of the three have been off of the field, that mark dips to 4.7 yards per play.
This is relevant because the Bengals have used 11 personnel on 78.5% of their offensive plays under Zac Taylor. That is the second-highest rate in the league over that span, trailing only the Rams (79.3%), where Taylor coached under Sean McVay.
Chase is seventh in the NFL in yards per route run (2.23) while Higgins is 15th (1.99) over the past two seasons.
Boyd has been a steady WR3 and contributor for the Bengals, but his 1.36 yards per route over that span is 33rd among 38 players with 1,000-plus pass routes the past two seasons.
The only players with a lower rate in that department over that period are Adam Thielen, Evan Engram, Marvin Jones, K.J. Osborn, and Dawson Knox.
Boyd will turn 29 years old this November.
Both Boyd and Higgins enter 2023 in the final season of their contracts. In fact, the only Cincy wide receiver signed beyond this season is Chase. The team does have the restricted right to Trenton Irwin.
Since Higgins was a second-round draft selection, there is no fifth-year option available for the team.
They do have some runway left on giving Chase a mega-extension, which could allow the team to work out something frontloaded for Higgins short term. Of course, what happens with Burrow’s extension also is in play here.
The Bengals are still a year away from making some really hard decisions, but with the scheme reliant on deploying three wideouts regularly, the injuries the team has faced the past two seasons, and their lack of contractual depth, they have a need to add some young talent to this depth chart despite how good they are up top.
Tight End Depth Chart, Bengals:
- Irv Smith Jr.
- Tanner Hudson
- Nick Bowers
- Devin Asiasi
The Bengals also could use some added weaponry at the tight end position.
Cincinnati only targeted their tight ends 16.3% of the time in 2022, which was 30th in the league.
On top of the lack of overall opportunity for the tight ends, Hayden Hurst left via free agency. He led the unit in targets (68), catches (52), and yards (414).
The team added Irv Smith Jr. on a one-year deal.
Smith is a former second-round pick and will still only be 25 years old at the start of the season, but he had just 91 career receptions over his rookie contract with the Vikings.
Tanner Hudson has just 15 receptions for four NFL teams, Devin Asiasi has just four receptions through three seasons, and Nick Bowers has yet to catch a pass in the league.
None of the tight ends currently on the roster are signed beyond this season.
Offensive Line Depth Chart, Bengals:
LT: Orlando Brown/Jackson Carman/D’Ante Smith
LG: Cordell Volson/Max Sharping/Nate Gilliam
C: Ted Karras/Trey Hill/Ben Brown
RG: Alex Cappa/Hakeem Adeniji
RT: Jonah Williams/La’el Collins/Cody Ford/Devin Cochran
The Bengals made strong strides last season in revamping their offensive line but still ended up 30th in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric (50%). Pro Football Focus had them 31st in collective pass block grade.
They fared better in run blocking, ranking 10th in ESPN’s run blocking win rate (72%) and 21st in collective run blocking grade at Pro Football Focus.
The Bengals also played the same five linemen on 85.0% of their offensive snaps during the regular season, which was second in the NFL.
Injuries caught up to them in the postseason, and there still is work to be done in putting everything in place up front.
The Bengals immediately went out this offseason and added Orlando Brown via free agency.
Assuming he is not traded, the Bengals will push out Jonah Williams to compete with La’el Collins at right tackle, and we could even see Collins move back into playing guard by the end of things.
The interesting element here is that Brown actually allowed a higher pressure rate (6.9%) than both Collins (5.9%) and Williams (6.4%) in 2022.
Both Ted Karras and Alex Cappa were solid additions last offseason.
Karras ended 2022 16th in pressure rate allowed among centers (2.9%) while Cappa allowed the 12th lowest pressure rate in 2022 among guards (2.9%).
Where the Bengals were weak was left guard.
Cordell Volson was selected in the fourth round last spring and started 16 games, but he checked in 61st among guards in pressure rate allowed (5.3%). Max Sharping was 94th out of 98 guards with 100 or more snaps in pass protection.
Volson also finished 93rd in run blocking grade at Pro Football Focus while Sharping was 115th among all guards to play a snap.
The Bengals are going to move some chairs here, and they have the bodies in place to shuffle around.
They will be looking for improved performance from Brown, Williams, and Collins while hoping to get a lot more out of the left guard position.
They also have a strong amount of contractual depth here. Jonah Williams is the only player in competition to start that has an expiring contract after 2023.
Cincinnati Bengals Defense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Dan Pizzuta breaks down the defensive depth chart by position for the Cincinnati Bengals, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
2022 Cincinnati Bengals Defensive Rankings
Interior Defensive Line Depth Chart, Bengals:
- D.J. Reader
- B.J. Hill
- Josh Tupou
- Zach Carter
- Jay Tufele
- Domenique Davis
D.J. Reader is one of the league’s best run defenders but was limited to 10 games and 38% of the Cincinnati defensive snaps in 2022.
When Reader returned in Week 11 through the end of the season, the Bengals were ninth in overall defensive EPA per play and eighth against the run.
2023 is the final year of his contract.
B.J. Hill has become a disruptive force inside and was on the field often. Last season he played 79% of Cincinnati’s defensive snaps — a high rate for an interior lineman.
He produced a tackle on 20% of his run snaps and has been impressive as a pass rusher.
There is a decent rotation behind them, but there could be more impact added here, especially if looking to the future should Reader become too expensive on his next contract with so many other big extensions upcoming.
EDGE Depth Chart, Bengals:
- Trey Hendrickson
- Sam Hubbard
- Joseph Ossai
- Cam Sample
- Tarrell Basham
- Jeff Gunter
- Owen Carney
- Raymond Johnson III
The Bengals were just 18th in pressure rate as a team last season, but the individual players were able to make an impact.
Cincinnati is also a team that doesn’t try to bring a ton of pressure. They disguise fronts and who rushes but also rush three nearly 10% of the time.
Trey Hendrickson was fourth among edge rushers in pass rush win rate and 14th overall in pressures and quarterback hits even while only playing 61% of the defensive snaps over 15 games.
While his eight sacks might look like a disappointment, the peripherals were there.
Sam Hubbard is one of the league’s best run stoppers on the edge, finishing fourth at the position in run stop win rate.
He added 6.5 sacks to 12 run stuffs and 11 tackles for loss. Hubbard was 18th in quarterback hits, and his sack production could have been higher with just 29.5% of those hits converted into sacks — the league average is around 40%.
Joseph Ossai was a productive third rusher who played 32% of the defensive snaps. Most of his production came late in the down, as just 3.1% of his pressures came within 2.5 seconds of the snap.
Off-ball Linebacker Depth Chart, Bengals:
- Germaine Pratt
- Logan Wilson
- Akeem Davis-Gaither
- Jos Bachie
- Markus Bailey
- Keandre Jones
The Bengals were able to bring back Germaine Pratt, who was an important piece in the middle of the defense for stopping the run. Pratt, 27, has struggled in coverage (52nd among linebackers in yards allowed per coverage snap) but he made a tackle on 20.1% of his run snaps.
Logan Wilson was the better coverage defender — 18th in yards allowed per coverage snap — and that allowed Pratt to play more downhill. The pairing was a successful one and will stay together for at least another year. 2023 is the final year on Wilson’s rookie contract.
Cincinnati used dime at one of the highest rates in the league and Wilson was typically the linebacker on the field in those situations and 92% of the defensive snaps overall.
Akeem Davis-Gaither brings athleticism as depth. He is rangy enough to make tackles across the field and rushed the passer on 18.8% of his pass snaps in 2022. However, he is also in the final year of his rookie contract.
Cornerback Depth Chart, Bengals:
- Chidobe Awuize
- Mike Hilton
- Cam Taylor-Britt
- Sidney Jones IV
- Allan George
- Jalen Davis
- Chris Lammons
- Marvel Tell
2022 was an injury-filled season for Chidobe Awuize, who only played 45% of the defensive snaps.
He still played well when he was on the field, ranking 22nd among outside corners in adjusted yards allowed per coverage snap despite being one of the most-targeted corners on a per-snap basis.
At this point, it would be easier to mention those who aren’t in the final year of their contracts in Cincinnati, but Awuzie is another player up after 2023.
Mike Hilton is one of the best and most versatile slot corners in the league. He was 17th among slot corners in adjusted yards allowed per coverage snap and was an effective blitzer.
Cam Taylor-Britt had rookie struggles while forced to play on 57% of the team’s defensive snaps.
He was 80th among 87 outside cornerbacks in adjusted yards allowed per coverage snap, but the second-round pick had some flashes that could project well as he gets more experience.
Taylor-Britt was the depth behind Eli Apple last season, but with Apple still a free agent, Taylor-Britt will be expected to start with the current depth chart. More quality could be added behind him.
Safety Depth Chart, Bengals:
- Dax Hill
- Nick Scott
- Tycen Anderson
- Brandon Wilson
- Michael Thomas
- Yusuf Corker
Safety is a position that completely turned over for the Bengals this offseason with Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell both gone.
Dax Hill was drafted in the first round last season to prepare for this situation, but he only played 13% of the defensive snaps s a rookie. Hill had versatility in college to play the slot, in the box, and deep, but a lot will be asked of him now as the top safety.
Nick Scott had a breakout stretch during the Rams’ Super Bowl run in 2021 and then was one of the few constants on the 2022 defense with 90% of the defensive snaps played.
Scott played the majority of his snaps as the deep safety, and that’s where the Bengals could use him.
The Bengals were about league average in both the rate of middle of the field open and closed coverages, according to TruMedia, and the ability to move to different spots could be more in play for Cincinnati at the position.
While there are few standouts, this is a versatile safety class. It is likely something is added to this position in the draft behind Hill and Scott.
