Can 2023 NFL Draft Class Push Bengals Back to Super Bowl?

Can 2023 NFL Draft Class Push Bengals Back to Super Bowl?
Fact Checked by Michael Peters

It’s been a great two-year run for the Cincinnati Bengals, with a 22-9 record and trips to the Super Bowl and AFC Championship round during that span.

And the Bengals figure to dominate local Ohio sportsbooks action this fall, the first full NFL season with legal wagering in the state.

The Bengals have reached their current heights, thanks in large part to the performance of draft picks like quarterback Joe Burrow, who was taken No. 1 overall out of LSU in 2020, along with fellow first round picks wideout Ja’Marr Chase (2021), guard Jonah Williams (2019) and center Billy Price (2018).

In 2022, the Bengals drafted six players spread across the seven-round draft, led by first round defensive back Daxton Hill and second round cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt.

The class was thought to be in the middle of the pack on draft night, and that’s how things turned out after the season based on Pro Football Reference’s Weighted Career Approximate Value (wAV).

According to PFR, fourth-round tackle Cordell Volson out of North Dakota State provided the most production for the Bengals a year ago.

The Bengals Super Bowl odds are currently No. 5 in the league for 2023. So who might be the star from this year’s draft class?

Bengals 2023 NFL Draft Class

  • 1st round (28th pick): Myles Murphy (DE) 
  • 2nd round (60th pick): DJ Turner (DB) 
  • 3rd round (95th pick): Jordan Battle (DB)
  • 4th round (131st pick): Charlie Jones (WR)
  • 5th round (163rd pick): Chase Brown (RB) 
  • 6th round (206th pick): Andrei Iosivas (WR) 
  • 6th round (217th pick): Brad Robbins (P)
  • 7th round (246th pick): DJ Ivey (CB)

How 2023 Might Compare to 2022

With two more selections and a greater spread of positions overall, it seems safe to assume the 2023 Bengals draft class should produce more value compared to last year’s class. You can assume the partner of the Bengals, Betfred Sportsbook Ohio, will be offering some exclusive promotions for the team. 

Last year’s crop of Bengals draft picks lacked an offensive skill position player and featured three defensive backs.

Of the six players, Volson notched the highest wAV value for the season at nine, followed by third-round pick defensive end Zachary Carter (5 wAV). First-round pick Daxton Hill provided the Bengals less value in his first season than the team’s next three picks.

Re-Ranking 2022 NFL Draft Class

Rank After Year 1 Team Class wAV* in Year 1 NFL Network Class Rank After Draft
1Seattle406
T2N.Y. Jets302
T2Kansas City303
4Houston298
T5N.Y. Giants2811
T5Green Bay2813
7Atlanta267
T8Detroit254
T8Jacksonville2522
T10Tennessee2412
T10Chicago2429
T10New England2432
13Dallas2224
T14Baltimore211
T14Cincinnati2116
16L.A. Chargers2014
17Tampa Bay1925
T18Pittsburgh1815
T18Indianapolis1818
T18San Francisco1827
21Buffalo1517
22Denver1310
23New Orleans1326
T24Las Vegas1120
T24Minnesota1123
T24Washington1130
T27Carolina1031
T27Cleveland1019
29Arizona931
30L.A. Rams820
31Philadelphia75
32Miami321
* — Approximate Value is a measurement used by Pro-Football-Reference.com to evaluate a player’s season and compare him to other players.

Other Contenders Had Big Rookie Seasons

Seattle had the top performing draft class in 2022, getting 40 wAV from their nine-man group. That was thanks in large part to fifth-round cornerback Tariq Woolen.

Woolen’s six interceptions fueled the Seahawks rookie production. But two other Seahawks picks (linemen Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas at 9 wAV apiece) had as much production as Cincinnati’s most productive pick. And Seattle running back Kenneth Walker III had 8 wAV, more than all but one of the Bengals’ draft class.

Despite the performance of its draftees, Cincinnati still came a play away from reaching the Super Bowl. For fans who think the Bengals might make another run, BetOhio.com has your Ohio sportsbook promos.

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Author

Christopher Boan

Christopher Boan writes for BetOhio.com and has been covering sports and sports betting for more than seven years, with experience at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.

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