I don’t know enough about the options in the third round. But, in the second round I would have taken the best LB available.  Bengals signed Mafe and need to give Stewart an opportunity to play, as well as, another year of an improved Miles.  Howell will be a rotational piece.  Rodriguez, Allen. or Golday makes the team better immediately.  LB draft pick feels more like a win now pick than Howell.  

4 hours ago, FatNate said:

I don’t know enough about the options in the third round. But, in the second round I would have taken the best LB available.  Bengals signed Mafe and need to give Stewart an opportunity to play, as well as, another year of an improved Miles.  Howell will be a rotational piece.  Rodriguez, Allen. or Golday makes the team better immediately.  LB draft pick feels more like a win now pick than Howell.  

I see Dex being doubled teamed and Howell "knifing" in an opening for a sack. ?‍♂️

I would love to see a trade for a LB and hopefully the best LB available with our next pick but not in place of the best player available. 

Bengals just traded and got to picks the 4th.

4 minutes ago, MaddenCurse44 said:

Bengals just traded and got to picks the 4th.

I like it!!

From CincyJungle.com and I will take it:

The Cincinnati Bengals have made a trade to move down in Round 4 by sending picks No. 110 and 199 to the New York Jets for picks No. 128 and 140. NFL reporter Joseph Pasteris broke the news first on Twitter.

This move gives the Bengals an extra selection in Round 4 while losing one of their two sixth-round selections. So the Bengals won’t be getting an extra pick from this deal, but they did effectively convert a sixth-round pick into a fourth-round pick.

https://www.cincyjungle.com/cincinnati-bengals-news/190861/nfl-draft-trade-jets-day-3

Like the brief summary says, we converted a 6th round pick into a 4th round pick. 

A good move by the Bengals with the trade they go for picks 110 and 199 to now having picks 128 and 140.

32 minutes ago, 16thBBall Fan said:

A good move by the Bengals with the trade they go for picks 110 and 199 to now having picks 128 and 140.

I like it too.  I haven’t loved the off season.  However, I do like they are trying some different approaches than ever before.  

Drafted Auburn Center Lew.

From ESPN on Lew:

Connor Lew, C, 6'3", 310 lbs, Auburn

Pre-Draft Analysis
Lew is recovering from an ACL injury last October. He is not a dominant people-mover in the run game, though he can position himself to wall off defenders and create running lanes. Lew tends to play too high and has a habit of stopping his feet on contact, limiting his ability to sustain blocks. He also allows defenders into his chest due to inconsistent hand placement, and he lacks the lateral quickness needed to recover and redirect when beaten. -- Scouts Inc.

From NFL.com:

BY LANCE ZIERLEIN, NFL Analyst

PROSPECT ANALYSIS
Lew is a team captain recovering from an ACL injury suffered in October 2025. He’s a natural bender with better foot quickness and athleticism than he shows in the Auburn run scheme. He has strong hands and a strong core to neutralize. He can bump and climb with good fluidity. He’s average as a drive blocker and needs to play with better consistency to mirror the rush without over-setting. His frame and game will continue to improve with time. Lew’s toughness, intelligence and leadership give him a slight grade bump and are core traits that should make him a solid starter.

We drafted WR Colbie Young from GA, he is a beast man:

PROSPECT ANALYSIS
Young’s athletic traits, play strength and ball skills stand out, but missed games have limited his production. Teams will need to examine his 2024 arrest and suspension. On tape, he uses his size, muscle and catch radius to beat cornerbacks in tight quarters and above the rim. His speed and separation are average, so he’ll likely see a higher number of contested battles. His route-running needs work, but he’s a nightmare for cornerbacks to bring down after the catch. Young has talent to work with and -- provided teams are comfortable after their character evaluation -- has a chance to be more productive in the pros.

From Fox5 in Atlanta on the arrest:

The Brief
Georgia wide receiver Colbie Young has pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct in his assault case and will serve 12 months on probation.

Police arrested Young after his pregnant ex-girlfriend claimed that he hurt her when she tried to leave his apartment during an argument in 2024. 

The woman later asked prosecutors to drop all charges against the University of Georgia senior.

Bengals select Young from Georgia WR 6'4 220. Scouts blew that one UC has 2 better receivers that are better.

From ESPN on the arrest:

Georgia wide receiver Colbie Young pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct on Wednesday in a criminal case related to his arrest on Oct. 8, in which a woman accused him of assaulting her and her unborn child, before later recanting her statement to police.