The Cincinnati Bengals take an unconventional approach to the NFL Draft. Let's just put it that way for purposes of politeness.
Cincinnati's draft philosophy is indeed unconventional from a league-smallest scouting department standpoint, sure. The larger issue? Personnel chief Duke Tobin and his minions have a blatant disregard for logical roster and/or big board construction.
That's a bold statement. I intend to back it up in the wake of a piece I wrote after Week 8 calling for Tobin's job.
Bengals' 2025 draft class maintains disturbing trends of d talent evaluation, team-building contradictions
Before we unpack the Bengals' 32nd-ranked scoring/total defense and examine rookies' roles in that mess, let me underscore what I mean by the team's discordant approach to filling out the roster via the draft.