Experts grade the Bengals’ 2024 draft class

Here is what the pros think.

The 2024 NFL draft is in the books for the Cincinnati Bengals, adding a good amount of potential to positions if needed, but it didn’t come without some risk as well.

Here are what experts around the NFL world think of Cincinnati’s draft class:

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. gave the Bengals a solid B, though he thinks the Bengals overdrafted a few guys.

Defensive tackles Kris Jenkins (49) and McKinnley Jackson (97) are better run-defenders than interior pass-rushers, but they’ll immediately help a defense that ranked 32nd in yards per play allowed (6.0) a year ago. I graded Jackson as more of a fifth-rounder, though. Cincinnati reached for wideout Jermaine Burton (80) over guys I had graded higher including Jalen McMillan, Roman Wilson and Troy Franklin, and Burton also has some off-field concerns. He’s a talented player and deep threat for Joe Burrow, but he’s no guarantee to be a future Tee Higgins replacement.

Charles McDonald of Yahoo Sports gave Cincinnati a B+, while his favorite selection was Amarius Mims.

Mims did not play a ton of football in college, but man, was he good when he was on the field. He has everything you want in a starting tackle from size, wingspan, athleticism and technique. Availability is going to be the only thing that can stop him from being a bulldozer up front for the Bengals. This was a foundational pick for the Bengals, shoring up their offensive line with a player who has elite upside.

Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus gave Cincinnati a B+ and was a big fan of the Kris Jenkins pick.

Jenkins is arguably the pound-for-pound strongest player in the draft. His 87.2 run-defense grade since 2022 ranked fifth among Power Five interior defenders, while his 82.7 PFF grade in 2023 ranked third among Big Ten interior defenders. Jenkins lacks length and an ideal pass-rush package, but his power alone will have him on the field on Sundays.

Doug Farrar from Touchdown Wire gave the Bengals a B while looking to really like the value the Bengals got from Kris Jenkins in the second round and Jermaine Burton in the third.

Kris Jenkins was a gap-plugging tackle in college who has more disruptive potential than he was allowed to show at Michigan. Jermaine Burton is a ready-made downfield target who could replace Tee Higgins if that contractual situation continues to be a problem.

Rob Maddie of the Associated Press gave the Bengals a B.

OT Amarius Mims (18) has major upside but isn’t as much of a slam dunk as other linemen who went in the first round. Had a strong second day, getting DT Kris Jenkins, WR Jermaine Burton and DL McKinnley Jackson. TE Tanner McLachlan in the sixth has plenty of potential.

Nate Davis of USA Today also gave the Bengals a B. Davis highlights how the Bengals’ selections could help ease the blow if the Bengals’ pending contract issues with Trey Hendrickson and Tee Higgins don’t work out in their favor.

Felt like your typically solid, if often unspectacular, Cincy draft – first-round OT Amarius Mims (Georgia), second-round DT Kris Jenkins (Michigan) and third-round WR Jermaine Burton (Alabama) all virtually certain to be starters … no later than 2025. No panic here at all despite those trade demands by DE Trey Hendrickson and WR Tee Higgins.

NFL.com’s Chad Reuter have Cincinnati a slightly lower grade, with a B-. Reuter, like many others sees some risk in the Amarius Mims selection in the first round. He is another expert who seems to really like the selection of Burton.

Mims is a boom-or-bust pick at tackle. He certainly has the size to win at the next level, but his limited experience (eight starts at Georgia) is a concern. The team doubled up on defensive tackles on Day 2 as it looks to replace D.J. Reader. Burton presented excellent value. He could become a key contributor on offense, especially if the Bengals and Tee Higgins don’t work out a long-term agreement.

Chris Trapasso at CBS Sports seems higher than some on the draft selections, giving the Bengals an A-. Trappaso specifically mentions sixth-round pick Cedric Johnson as someone to keep an eye on.

Burton is not your classic Round 3 receiver — he has borderline first-round talent as one of the truly premier vertical threat. All and McLachlan are two reasonable talented pass-catching tight ends, and keep an eye on Johnson as an ascending rusher who can climb the depth chart because of his explosiveness and glimpses of hand work.

The Ringer’s Danny Kelly gave the Bengals the highest grade I have seen so far with an A. Kelly went in to some detail about his favorite of the Bengals’ 10 picks.

I liked the Mims pick in particular; he’s a boom-or-bust prospect because of his extreme lack of experience (just eight college starts), but he brings truly elite potential thanks to his immense size and rare movement skills. The Jermaine Burton pick in the third round could also look like a massive steal in a few years: Burton fell in part because of some character concerns (he struck a female fan in the head following a loss to Tennessee), but he’s a three-level pass-catcher with stick’em hands and very good speed and profiles as a long-term replacement for Tee Higgins if the team can’t come to a contract extension with their star receiver. I also loved the fourth-round selection of tight end Erick All, who brings intriguing athleticism and tackle-breaking ability but fell in the draft because of multiple injuries sustained in college. All has starter-upside as a pass-catcher in the Bengals offense if he can stay healthy.

Sporting News’ Vinne Iyer gave Cincinnati an A.

The Bengals once again knew what they were doing. Mims was the ideal fit to upgrade Joe Burrow’s pass protection, while Burton gives him an exciting new big-play slot. All and McLachlan bring good blocking and short-to-intermediate area receiving to their scheme, too. Jenkins and Jackson provides a good 1-2 pass-rushing and run-stuffing punch. Newton was right for their corner depth, too.

Gridiron Grading LOVED the Bengals draft.

All in all, it seems like most experts are happy with how the Bengals fared.