The very best teams in the NFL consistently pick in the back half of the NFL Draft order. A league built on promoting parity is becoming a harder landscape to consistently end up at the top of the standings.

The Cincinnati Bengals are doing it the right way, and their latest draft class is a great example.

By turning their earliest picks into premium position players, they exhibited the understanding of consistently building towards the future, while complementing those picks with instant impact playmakers later in the draft. They added an extra pick thanks to a trade down, and still landed a player the consensus graded much higher than where he went off the board. 

The consensus aspect can't be overlooked. Rarely do draft classes that look so off the wall end up paying off. The Bengals value certain attributes with all their players, and as long as they continue to grade them in line with the majority, they should continue to enjoy their process working. The process pumped out what looks to be another valued crop of draftees.

Grading the Cincinnati Bengals 2023 NFL Draft picks

Round 1, No. 28 overall: DE Myles Murphy, Clemson

GRADE: B

The Bengals' first first-round defensive lineman in over 20 years is a pretty good one. Murphy comes with a high-floor, but not so high of a ceiling. He was just an average pass-rusher with average pass-rushing grades to back it up. His 80.1 grade against true pass sets since 2021 ranks in the 33rd percentile according to Pro Football Focus. His best season sacking the quarterback put him below the 50th percentile in sack market share as well.

So what's to like? Plenty of things. He's extremely fast and explosive for his size, and he's also very young with extensive starting experience. The players who weren't that productve but still went on to have high-quality careers usually entered the league with elite athleticism, and were on the younger side. Check off both of those boxes.

Becoming more efficient in generating pressure will allow Murphy to become great all-around edge defender, and under the tutelage of defensive line coach Marion Hobby, and the versatile scheme of Lou Anarumo, there's a great deal of confidence a high-effort player like Murphy can fulfill whatever his potential is. He'll start as a key rotational piece and make the transition to a starter within the next two years.

Round 2, No. 60 overall: CB DJ Turner II, Michigan

GRADE: A-

This combination of value and need was bested by just one other pick in this year's class for Cincinnati. Turner is an excellent man-to-man boundary cornerback, sporting an 89.1 coverage grade on plays without pressure over the last two seasons, which falls in the 93rd percentile. He also ranks in the 81st percentile in pass deflection market share.

Turner's also an incredible athlete, as he ran the fastest 40-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine. That speed allows him to stay in receivers' hip pockets, and catch up to anyone who may've generated separation against him. The only downside is his lack of length (30 3/4" arms), which may get him into trouble against bigger receivers.

While he probably won't start out of the gate this year, he's probably good enough to do so if needed. He's every bit as good as Cam Taylor-Britt was last year. Getting that caliber of player with the same exact pick is great.

Round 3, No. 95 overall: S Jordan Battle, Alabama

GRADE: B+

This was strictly about value. Like Turner, Battle was a second-round player in the eyes of the Bengals, and the on-field play wasn't the only reason why. Cincinnati's coaching staff identified him as a perfect locker room fit. It's easy to understand why a three-year starter and team captain in Nick Saban's secondary would fit that profile.

Battle's role going forward should primarily be close to the line of scrimmage. His coverage grade in the slot (65.4) and in the box (90.4) since '21 both rank in the 97th percentile, and his solo tackle market share is just about in the 70th percentile.

No matter where he plays, whenever he gets on to the field, Battle can be counted on to always be in position to make a play, despite not being a great all-around athlete. He's one of the most cerebral players the Bengals have drafted in the last handful of years. 

Round 4, No. 131 overall: WR Charlie Jones, Purude

GRADE: A-

No receiver had more contested catches last year than Chuck Sizzle, who is every bit of 5'11" and 178 pounds. Jones plays bigger than his size when the ball's in the air, but he's got the ideall skillset to own the slot in the Bengals' passing game. His separation percentage of 67.6% over the last two seasons ranks in the 79th percentile. He also ranked in the 87th percentile in total offensive market share during his lone season as a featured starter.

Jones, already 24 years old, is most definitely on the older side. That naturally limits his upside, but it also makes him a mostly-finished product who can be productive from day one. It just depends on how much of a role he'll carve out behind the league's best starting receiver trio.

While Jones may not find as much success as an outside receiver in the NFL due to his smaller stature, his vertical ability gives the Bengals' a more versatile long-term option in the slot. His ready-now skillset and ability as a return specialist bumps this grade into the A-range

Round 5, No. 163 overall: RB Chase Brown, Illinois

GRADE: A

Drafting a running back is more about when you pick one rather than which one you pick. As it happens, the Bengals picked one of the best running backs, and right around when they should've. Brown's production at Illinois gives him objective upside to become a valued starter in the NFL, and his athletic profile says the same. His total yardage market share ranks in the 87th percentile, which puts him in range of perennial Pro Bowl status. 

The reasons why Brown lasted this long, and may not reach that Pro Bowl ceiling, have to do with his age, workload, and the position he plays. He is already 23 years old and did carry the ball a ton during his collegiate career. That may limit how long he lasts as an effective NFL player, but Brown is a physically gifted back who takes care of his conditioning well. The balance and vision of which he runs with are just the icing on the cake. He may outlast the usual running back shelf life.

At minimum, Brown should be the Bengals' No. 2 running back as a rookie. He fills an immediate and long-term need at the right price. 

Round 6, No. 206 overall: WR Andrei Iosivas, Princeton

GRADE: B+

You can never fault a team for investing in a premium athlete. There just haven't been many receivers as athletically gifted as Iosivas. He's 6'3" 205 and is an 80th percentile or greater athlete in speed, explosion, and flexibility for his size. He was also dominant for his level of competition, which is important when projecting non-FBS players.

The reason this pick isn't an A is because we just have no idea if Iosivas is ever going to be anything more than just a reserve. He's already going to be a 24-year old rookie and will most likely be a healthy scratch the entire 2023 season unless injuries force him onto the field. 

This year will be a developmental one for the track athlete, and that's okay. We'll judge him based off what happens in 2024 and beyond.

Round 6, No. 217 overall: P Brad Robbins, Michigan

GRADE: B

Drafting specialists is a hit-or-miss proposition. If it worked more often, you'd see more of them drafted. It is more justifiable to spend a pick if your need is dire. Ask any Bengals fan if a better punter would've made a difference in the AFC title game. You'll get the same answer from 100 of them. 

Robbins, one of the three draftable punters according to The Athletic's Dane Brugler, possesses one of the best right legs entering the NFL this year. The Columbus, OH native has a knack for directing his punts to the right spots, and avoiding the end zone. His average hang time over the past two seasons is right under 4.3 seconds, but that number would've greater had he not gotten injured last year. 

He's also an experienced holder, giving the Bengals a serious replacement for Drue Chrisman. 

Round 7, No. 246 overall: CB DJ Ivey, Miami

GRADE: C+

Very rarely do seventh-round picks make an impact, or receive high grades. The two usually go hand in hand. 

Ivey plays a valuable position and is certainly experienced. He played in an astounding 58(!) career games and logged nearly 2,500 career snaps at Miami. He has good size at at 6'1" with 32 5/8" arms to go with 4.46 speed, and has solid production to boot. 

Ivey joins a stacked cornerback room with special teams ability. He'll do what he can to push for a roster spot, but is a likely practice squad candidate. If he does anything beyond making the roster, this pick will be a success. Expectations are just naturally low for one of the last picks in the draft.

Final thoughts

When every one of your draft picks fits the mold of the person you want in the locker room, you earn a certain level of trust and benefit of the doubt. Not to mention the expectation that every pick will fulfill whatever level of upside they have, even if it's not great.

This, more or less, has become the standard for the Bengals. They've prioritized high character and high-upside athletes for the better part of the last four drafts, and seemed to really hammer home their values in the last two. Six of their seven non-specialist draftees come in with high-end athleticism, and at least a promising baseline of production history. So long as they don't stray too far from the consensus, this strategy will continue to pay off more than most.

There are no home run picks here, as that's difficult to do when picking 28th. In terms of drafting for right now, they did okay. When looking at the future, they did great. The latter is far more important in this arena.

OVERALL GRADE: B+