The Cincinnati Bengals looked like they might have landed a strong 2026 draft class. A month and change into the season, though, that optimism has faded fast, with very little on-field production to show for the haul.
That isn’t exactly a shock for this team. Cincinnati has a habit of betting on high-upside project players like Shemar Stewart, guys who often need a year, maybe two, maybe three - AHEM Myles Murphy - before they even start looking like real contributors. It’s a familiar gamble, and one that doesn’t exactly scream immediate help in today’s NFL.
With Dexter Lawrence’s impact as the traded-for 10th overall pick already baked in and making up for plenty, the rest of the rookie class is the part that needs a hard look.
Cashius Howell had a promising start, then the production dried up
Cashius Howell opened with a couple of encouraging games, but since then his workload has gone down every week, and so has his effectiveness when he’s actually been on the field.
He still doesn’t have a sack, but there have been flashes of disruption that suggest something could still be there long term. Even so, the fade during Cincinnati’s 1-2 pre-bye stretch is enough to raise a real question about whether those short arms will keep him from becoming a double-digit sack guy.
And if he’s supposed to be starting next year on a defensive line with Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, and Boye Mafe, that should be the standard. Anything less than that is organizational malpractice for not drafting Jacob Rodriguez at linebacker as far as I’m concerned.
For now, though, Howell has not made much of a case. There is still a path for him in 2027, when his role should grow as Murphy presumably leaves in free agency.
Tacario Davis has upside, but the polish isn’t there yet
Tacario Davis was a Round 3 reach in my book after Cincinnati made the short-armed Howell pick a round earlier, but the appeal is obvious. At 6-foot-4, he’s a freak athlete and a different kind of corner than the smaller guys the Bengals usually chase.
The talent is there. So are the mistakes.
Davis has picked up three penalties, and all of them have been costly if memory serves. One of them even erased what would have been his first interception.
He plays with some DAWG, too. He’s not shy about contact, and with his size-speed combo, he can absolutely bring some violence to the play when he’s flying downhill in the open field.
Still, D.J. Ivey remains the starter on the boundary opposite DJ Turner, and that doesn’t sound likely to change coming out of the bye.
Dax could also slide back outside once Jalen Davis comes off injured reserve. Either way, Tacario’s chances of carving out a real role this year don’t look great.
The Day 3 group hasn’t done much of anything
No one was expecting miracles from this part of the class, but the results have still been thin.
Landon Robinson has been the one player I’ve been pounding the table for, wanting him to get into the defensive tackle rotation over Kris Jenkins Jr. That’s still waiting on a breakthrough.
I had a dream once https://t.co/qkvhvXoiow pic.twitter.com/G6shWVje3m
- Matt Fitzgerald (@MattFitz_gerald) September 28, 2026
Jack Endries deserves more snaps at tight end, especially since he’s at least been active for some games. Robinson, by comparison, has gotten a goose egg so far. As long as Drew Sample is still on the active roster, though, Endries is stuck waiting.
The seventh-rounders aren’t giving Cincinnati much right now, and neither are the fourth-rounders. Connor Lew looks like the eventual successor to Ted Karras at center, which makes it easy to understand why the Bengals are letting the rookie sit. Wide receiver Colbie Young has already been passed by fellow newcomer and non-draftee Dohnte Meyers on the depth chart, and that happened before Young went down with a knee injury.
That leaves Brian Parker II, the sixth-round utility offensive lineman from Duke, who is still on injured reserve. Parker has intrigue, and there’s some liking for his long-term outlook, but there just isn’t much to point to yet.
So far, that’s the story of this draft class: a lot of waiting, a little promise, and very little impact.
In Other News...
Dexter Lawrence Is Already Creating A Bengals Problem Opponents Hate
Dexter Lawrence has wasted no time turning himself into one of the biggest weekly headaches the Bengals have to manage. Through four games, opposing lines have leaned on double teams to try to slow him down, but Lawrence keeps showing up around the ball and disrupting plays anyway, giving Cincinnati a rare interior force who changes the way offenses have to protect.
He already has three sacks and five tackles for loss, a pace that points toward a career-best season if he keeps this going. The next step for the Bengals is figuring out how to turn all that attention into even more pressure elsewhere, and the bye week should give the coaching staff a chance to build new ways to maximize what Lawrence is creating in the middle. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Bye Week Put Zac Taylor's Offense Under Pressure
Through five games, Cincinnatis passing game has been productive enough to keep the offense on schedule, but it has not looked as sharp as the continuity on paper suggested. The Bengals brought back all 11 starters, and still the attack sits 12th in total yards per game while searching for a little more punch when the field tightens in scoring range.
The bye week gives Zac Taylor and his staff a chance to look hard at the details that have held the unit back, especially the red-zone inefficiency and the way the offense has leaned away from under-center looks. There is also a running back decision hovering over the conversation, with the author making the case for a different starter, and the next stretch will say plenty about whether Cincinnati can turn those concerns into fixes before the season gets away from it. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Burrow Just Showed Why Bengals Fans Should Feel Better
After a rough stretch, Joe Burrow and the Bengals got the kind of response game that can settle a fan base down for at least a week. Cincinnati beat Miami 31-24 in Week 5, and Burrow kept the offense moving by completing 23 of 32 passes for 190 yards while working the ball to nine different receivers. The run game did its part, too, with 117 rushing yards helping give the offense a more complete look than it had shown earlier.
The bigger takeaway for Cincinnati was the way the passing attack started to feel less dependent on any one target. JaMarr Chase was back after his concussion, and his return added another layer to an offense that needed it. The Bengals still have plenty to clean up, but a balanced day and a win over a playoff-caliber opponent gave them something they had been missing: a little confidence that this can look like a real attack again. [Read more 🡒]