The 2023 NFL Draft is officially in the books. After a flurry of selections from Thursday to Saturday, 259 players were selected to join the NFL.
With that, we give you our full recap of the Cincinnati Bengals draft, with analysis on every selection the team made during the weekend and an in-depth look at their top pick.
For more information on the players your favorite team drafted, it’s not too late to get the 2023 NFL Draft Guide, which includes expanded scouting reports, draft grades, offseason reports, unique advanced data, PFF grades and much more.
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NCAA Premium Stats | Draft Rankings By Position | Prospect Superlatives
2023 NFL Draft Picks
R1 (28): EDGE Myles Murphy, Clemson
R2 (60): CB DJ Turner, Michigan
R3 (95): S Jordan Battle, Alabama
R4 (131): WR Charlie Jones, Purdue
R5 (163): RB Chase Brown, Illinois
R6 (206): WR Andrei Iosivas, Princeton
R6 (217): P Brad Robbins, Michigan
R7 (246): CB DJ Ivey, Miami (FL)
Day 1: 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.
Day 2: Turner can flat-out fly, clocking a 4.26-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine in Indianapolis. He did get picked on a little at Michigan, and there’s still a fair amount of development needed, but he allowed just 46.5% of the passes thrown into his coverage to be caught in 2022 and forced 14 incompletions in the process.
The Bengals lost both starting safeties in free agency, so Battle could be a long-term replacement for Vonn Bell. He was one of the most consistent defensive backs in college football, earning 80.0-plus PFF grades in each of the past three seasons while playing more than 800 snaps in each.
Day 3: If the Bengals are looking to find a long-term replacement for Tyler Boyd in the slot, Jones could be just what they are looking for. He dropped just 2.7% of the catchable passes thrown his way in 2022 and averaged 2.70 yards per route run over the season.
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.
Ivey carried a career-high 76.2 coverage grade across from Tyrique Stevenson at Miami, but only had six combined interceptions and pass breakups all year.
DRAFT GRADE: A
Prospect Spotlight: EDGE Myles Murphy, Clemson
Murphy is too freaky. The 6-foot-5, 275-pounder is this year's version of Travon Walker. Murphy could stand to add some pass-rushing moves, but he still racked up 76 pressures over the past two seasons.
Strengths, weaknesses and NFL role
Where he wins: Power
Murphy's high-end reps are jaw-dropping. The power that he possesses when unlocked properly is enough to bowl over even NFL tackles. It's just worrisome that we only saw it in flashes.
What's his role? Project every-down EDGE
Murphy may very well suffer through some head-scratching years before paying off. He's just that far away technically. The pay-off, however, could be massive.
What he can improve: Unlocking hips
Blocking Murphy can be a terrifying proposition for offensive tackles. However, he often does their job of establishing leverage for them. If he could just sink consistently into his bull rush, he would be unstoppable.
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