Cincinnati Bengals 2023 NFL Draft Recap
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Former Clemson defensive end Myles Murphy headlined a Bengals draft class that brought in a lot of speed.
The Cincinnati Bengals traditionally excel in the NFL Draft and this year was no different, as they added a fast draft class full of speed and athleticism. In Purdue’s all-purpose specialist Charlie Jones, the team got a player who finished second in the nation in receiving yards. The loss of running back Samaje Perine (Broncos) in free agency necessitated the need for another young runner to add in the room. Former Fighting Illini back Chase Brown finished fourth nationally in rushing yards this past season.
The team picked up a third safety in Jordan Battle (3rd round, 95th overall) to compete with free agent acquisition Nick Scott and 2022 first-round pick Daxton Hill. It was another area of need after losing both Jessie Bates III (Falcons) and Vonn Bell (Panthers) in free agency.
| Cincinnati Bengals 2023 NFL Draft recap | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals | |||||
| Selection | Player Selection | Position- School | DN Big Board Rank/ Grade | Nasty’ Take: | Value (1-5) based on DN Big Board Rank/grade: |
| 1 (28) | Myles Murphy 6’5 268 | DE/Clemson | 14/1st Round | Murphy’s skill at forcing fumbles (six in college) excites, as does his movement capability at nearly 270 pounds. In a number of ways, his physical make-up mirrors Sam Hubbard’s coming out of school. | 5 |
| 2 (60) | DJ Turner 5’11 178 | CB-Nickel/Michigan | 81/2nd Round | With solid change of direction capability, Turner's natural progression could very well end up at nickel back in the pros. He has a chance to develop as a gunner (a role he played at Michigan) while manning either the inside slot or No. 3 outside corner position in nickel or dime packages. | 4.5 |
| 3 (95) | Jordan Battle 6’1 209 | S-Alabama | 75/2nd Round | Battle joins a brand new safety room that includes 2022 first-round pick Daxton Hill and free agent acquisition Nick Scott (Rams). | 5 |
| 4 (131) | Charlie Jones 6’0 175 | All-Purpose-WR-Ret-Purdue, Iowa, Buffalo | 167/3rd Round | The former walk-on played at a number of schools and finished second in the country in receiving yards due to a combination of foot speed and improved savvy at the position. His kick return potential is vastly underrated. He was the Big Ten Returner of the Year in 2021. | 4.5 |
| 5 (163) | Chase Brown 5’9 209 | RB-Illinois | 102/3rd Round | In 2021, Brown decided to go vegan. It wasn't long before he added meat back into his diet. Over the last two seasons, he has not left much meat on the bone. His vision improved each season and he took his game to another level catching wheel routes out of the backfield. | 5 |
| 6 (206) | Andrei Iosivas 6’3 212 | WR-Princeton | 204/4th Round | The Ivy League Indoor Heptathlon champion is strong and continues to improve as a route-runner. At 212 pounds, he owns legitimate 4.4 speed. | 5 |
| 6 (217) | Brad Robbins 6’0 205 | P-Michigan | 575/6th Round | Robbins’ catch-and-kick times were impressive and his five-second plus hang times translate from a colder Michigan environment to the state of Ohio, where he has experience in November. | 4 |
| 7 (246) | D.J. Ivey 6’0 1/2” 194 | CB-Miami (Fla.) | 480/5th Round | After some early season struggles defending small, quick receivers (see MTSU ’22), Ivey settled down and played solid in the second half of the season. He has experience moving around the secondary and could become a surprise in a camp due to his special teams upside. He finished his career with six interceptions. | 4 |
| No. 1 UDFA signing: | Shaka Heyward 6’3 235 | LB-Duke | 136/3rd Round | Heyward has been searching for the optimum playing weight for years and seems to have found it at around the 235-pound mark. During his career, he made plays as a blitzer, in coverage (4 INTs) and excelled on the kickoff unit. | 5 |
| Draft Grade: | 4.625 |
