The 2026 NFL Draft is just eight days away. Eight years ago, the Cincinnati Bengals were on the verge of a major shift. They just didn’t know it at the time.

Marvin Lewis was entering the last year of his 16-year run as head coach. Many thought 2017 was going to be it until an extension found his office to the apathy of fans. The team was stagnant, the core was aging, but those in the luxury offices upstairs wanted to run it back once more.

The 2018 draft was the last swing to get things right. It just so happened that two picks in particular set up Lewis’ successor for eventual success.

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 classes of 2016 and 2017 each had a franchise player drafted in the second round. 2018 was no different, until it was time to pay him like one.

• Round 1, No. 21: Billy Price, C, Ohio State
• Round 2, No. 54: Jessie Bates III, S, Wake Forest
• Round 3, No. 77: Sam Hubbard, DE, Ohio State
• Round 3, No. 78: Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas
• Round 4, No. 112: Mark Walton, RB, Miami
• Round 5, No. 138: Ryan Glasgow, DT, Michigan
• Round 5, No. 153: Jake Elliott, K, Memphis
• Round 5, No. 176: JJ Dielman, C, Utah
• Round 6, No. 193: Jordan Evans, LB, Oklahoma
• Round 6, No. 2017: Brandon Wilson, S, Houston
• Round 7, No. 245: Mason Schreck, TE, Buffalo

Best Pick: Jessie Bates

Trading down in the second round became a theme before long, and the Bengals did it again to find their new post safety. Bates was a young ballhawk with the sort of range defensive minds of the 2010s salivated over. You were never going to find Earl Thomas 2.0, but taking a swing on a guy like Bates in the second round, after trading down no less, was as good of a bet as you’d take.

Bates was handed the reins immediately. George Iloka was surprisingly released very late in the offseason, clearing the way for the rookie to assume his starting role next to Shawn Williams. He got off to a blazing hot start, notching his first three interceptions and pick-six in his first eight games. The second half of 2018 and all of 2019 was not as promising as he dealt with inconsistencies, especially in a new defense his second year, but the flashes were there.

He locked in as a third-year starter in 2020, posting his third consecutive season with three interceptions and a whopping 15 passes defensed. He was good enough to earn All-Pro votes and be named Second Team to the list, but the 4-11-1 Bengals were bad enough to keep him off the Pro Bowl roster.

Much like Tyler Boyd and Joe Mixon, Bates had proven to be a franchise building block for head coach Zac Taylor despite not being drafted under his leadership. Unlike Boyd and Mixon, Cincinnati had issues agreeing to an extension. Bates was good enough to warrant future guaranteed money and his agent, David Mulugheta, was not going to accept anything else. Ongoing negotiations seemed to hinder his play in 2021, but he played outstanding in his first postseason run, leading all defensive backs in interceptions (2) and passes defensed (6). He hauled in the first-ever Super Bowl INT in Bengals history as well.

There was nothing more Bates could do to prove his worth, but Cincinnati didn’t budge with guarantees. He was franchise tagged in 2022, leading to his departure a year later. Bates had a career-high four INTs during his last year in Cincy. He topped that immediately upon leaving the Queen City. His six INTs in 2023 with the Atlanta Falcon earned him his first Pro Bowl nod. He’s intercepted nearly as many passes in three years with the Falcons (13) as he did in five years with the team that drafted him (14).

The Bengals knocked it out of the park with Bates. All they had to do was pay him.

Honorable Mention: Sam Hubbard

Bates was the best player of the class, and Hubbard himself can’t even argue that. Most Bengals fans are going to remember Hubbard more fondly.

Hubbard was born and raised in Cincinnati. He ended up committing to football in high school and found himself as an Ohio State recruit. He became best friends with Joe Burrow long before they reunited in the Bengals locker room.

It was written in the stars for him to come back home, and his home suited him well.

Hubbard never quite developed into an above average pass rusher, but that wasn’t the realistic expectation. He was a high-effort edge-setter who could find the ball and utilize a wide tackle radius to make stops at and behind the line. He was one of the best run-defending defensive ends at the peak of his game, and it earned him an admirable four-year, $40 million extension the same offseason when the front office was trying to get Bates signed long-term.

Hubbard was already a quality player, and he only elevated his legacy in the 2022-23 postseason. His 99-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens became an instant all-time moment in team history. NBC’s Mike Tirico exclaimed him “The Cincinnati Kid” as he was sprinting toward the end zone. It was a perfect moment for one of the city’s brightest stars.

The last two years of Hubbard’s career showed why an early retirement was on the way. Injuries had caught up to him, and he just wasn’t the sam athlete from 2023-24. He called it a career in the 2025 offseason.

Seven years of NFL football in your hometown? Quite the ride it was.

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