The 2026 NFL Draft is just four days away. Four years ago, the Cincinnati Bengals picked as late as they ever did in the first round after falling just in the Super Bowl.

They also traded up not once, but twice following the first round. It was a draft unlike any other in franchise history.

As a way to countdown to the 2026 draft, we’re going to go through the last 10 Bengals draft classes and identify the best pick Cincinnati made that year. A subjective combination of tenure, ability, impact, and value will be taken into account to pinpoint the single best selection from the last 10 drafts.

The class of 2022 found three starters for a brief two-year period, but became

• Round 1, No. 31: Dax Hill, CB, Michigan
• Round 2, No. 60: Cam Tayl0r-Britt, CB, Nebraska
• Round 3, No. 95: Zach Carter, DT, Florida
• Round 4, No. 136: Cordell Volson, G, North Dakota State
• Round 5, No. 166: Tycen Anderson, S, Toledo
• Round 7, No. 252: Jeff Gunter, DE, Coastal Carolina

Best Pick: Dax Hill

It took four years for this to be the answer, but Hill is firmly in the Bengals’ long-term plans after a chaotic first few years on the roster.

Hill was originally drafted as a safety. He was mostly a slot cornerback in college, but with Jessie Bates III’s departure inevitable the following year, Cincinnati was determined to develop his replacement instead find a new one later.

Hill rode the bench as a rookie and, as expected, took over for Bates in 2023. The plan backfield as the Bengals’ defense declined with downgraded safety play being one of the root causes. Hill had his occasional flashes, but the consistency patrolling deep zones just wasn’t there.

Cincinnati moved Hill to outside cornerback in 2024 and the tape was much more promising. It came to a screeching halt when he tore his ACL in Week 5. All of the sudden, Hill was three years into his career and the Bengals still weren’t entirely sure what they had.

Hill began the 2025 season in the slot and was moved back outside after Taylor-Britt suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 11. The switch proved to be exactly what the doctor ordered as Hill looked a progressed version of his 2024 self.

Now that the Bengals know where Hill belongs, there’s full confidence in his standing going forward. There will be an effort to extend his contract this offseason, and that’s more than can said about any of the other five picks from this class.

Honorable Mention: Cam Taylor-Britt

Cincinnati traded up three spots in the second round for Taylor-Britt. Trading up that early in the draft was, and still is, a very uncharacteristic move from the Bengals, but they were in need of a true cornerback that offseason and targeted Taylor-Britt after Hill.

Taylor-Britt became a starter when Chidobe Awuzie suffered a torn ACL in the middle of the season and had his best games late in the year and during the postseason. He carried that momentum into 2023 when he had his best season to date, hauling in four interceptions in just 12 games.

Everything started going downhill in 2024. Taylor-Britt was considered a future extension candidate and the next leader of the secondary. He was instead benched twice during the season due to poor performance. He had everything to play for in a contract year in 2025, and could still not fully earn the trust he lost the previous season. The aforementioned injury would ultimately end his time in Cincinnati.

Taylor-Britt did not become a long-term piece of the Bengals’ defense, but he did provide high-quality play for a brief period. In comparison to Volson, a three-year starter who fought to play at an average level, CTB was the better player and better investment as they both stayed with the team for the same number of seasons.

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