Bengals 2023 NFL Draft grades roundup
Waiting three years to grade the NFL Draft? Who has time for that? It's not wrong, though. The fruits of the draft really don't become noticeable until a few seasons pass, and the players fully develop into who they are. Sometimes it's quicker, sometimes it's longer. How about that 2020 class from the Cincinnati Bengals? […]
Waiting three years to grade the NFL Draft? Who has time for that?
It's not wrong, though. The fruits of the draft really don't become noticeable until a few seasons pass, and the players fully develop into who they are. Sometimes it's quicker, sometimes it's longer. How about that 2020 class from the Cincinnati Bengals? Not bad!
Grading drafts in real time is about applying the process of player evaluation, and judging how each player fits into their new team. A good process usually yields accurate grades down the road, but players can always surprise in good ways and bad.
Here's how the major media outlets view the Bengals' 2023 draft class
Murphy looked like a future top-five pick after a freshman season that saw him produce an 85.2 PFF grade, but we never really saw him progress beyond that. However, he has produced a PFF grade of at least 79.0 in each of the past three seasons and racked up 76 pressures over the past two years. … [Chase] Brown was a workhorse at Illinois with big-play speed, as his 83 forced missed tackles are second in the class behind Bijan Robinson. He’s not a great receiver and, at times, has fumbling issues. Brown profiles as a useful RB2, which is exactly what the Bengals will be looking for after losing Samaje Perine in free agency.
"The Bengals "let the draft come to them" for Duke Tobin and his scouting staff. It was only a mild surprise they want defense-first to help Lou Anarumo, but Murphy was a great first-round value to further their pass rush. Turner and Battle also can have key coverage roles right away, given some free-agent departures. Jones, a possession-based slot, as well as Iosivas, is thinking ahead to losing Tyler Boyd in 2024, while Brown gives them a nice option to pivot away from Joe Mixon soon." – Vinnie Iyer
"The Bengals patiently waited for three potential early starters on defense to fall into their laps. [Myles] Murphy brings power and flashes of quickness off the edge, [DJ] Turner’s speed and aggressiveness were worthy of a late second-round pick and [Jordan] Battle’s a solid all-around safety. A quick, reliable slot receiver and kick returner, [Charlie] Jones turned his transfer from Iowa to Purdue into a fourth-round draft slot. [Andrei] Iosivas has the potential to be a deep threat." – Chad Reuter
"The Bengals did a solid job filling their needs, though I'm not going to give them an A because they didn't take a tight end in one of the deepest tight end classes over the past 20 years. That's a miss. Overall, if Murphy develops into an every-down player, we could be looking at an A class in a few years." – Mel Kiper Jr.
"The Bengals had a quietly solid draft after focusing heavily on defense in the early rounds. They nabbed a long, super-athletic edge rusher in the first round in Clemson’s Myles Murphy, who should factor into the team’s pass-rush rotation alongside Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubard, and Joseph Ossai right away. … I think a couple of Cincinnati’s day-three picks could play roles early on, with Purdue receiver Charlie Jones bringing slot receiver skills and Illinois running back Chase Brown bringing a physical style on the ground." – Danny Kelly
Sports Illustrated: B
"The Bengals prioritized defense in the first two days of the draft. Cincinnati got a steal in Murphy, who will pair with Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson to give coordinator Lou Anarumo a terrific trio off the edge. In Day 2, the Bengals added high-upside depth in the secondary, with Battle having a chance to start as a rookie alongside last year's first-round pick in Dax Hill. On Saturday, the Bengals took a chance on Jones, who broke out with Purdue after spending time with Buffalo and Iowa before transferring a second time. In 2022, he amassed 110 catches, 1,361 yards and 12 touchdowns." – Matt Verderame
"Seems like your typical Cincy draft, pretty much right down the fairway while addressing present needs and anticipating future ones. The first three selections were devoted to a 16th-ranked defense with a secondary currently in transition. But first-round DE Myles Murphy and third-round S Jordan Battle should get on the field early, while second-round slot CB DJ Turner II is a plus athlete – if a project who will get developmental time. Fifth-round RB Chase Brown, a second-team All-Big Ten pick last year after racking up nearly 1,900 yards from scrimmage, could push Joe Mixon." – Nate Davis
