The Bengals used the 2023 NFL Draft to send a clear message about the future of their team: high-priced stars on offense, young athletes on defense. It’s a stark departure from the approach that got them to back-to-back AFC Championship Games: young rookies on offense and high-priced free agents on defense.
The assumption is that the franchise will extend QB Joe Burrow to an extension that will likely make him the highest paid player in the NFL, and in the last several weeks, chatter has picked up about the team extending WR Tee Higgins, who is entering the last year of his rookie contract. Looming next off-season is WR Ja’Marr Chase who will also be eligible for an extension. Between those high pice-tags and the contract the team handed out to LT Orlando Brown, Jr., it’s expected that nearly 40% of the team’s cap will be used on those four players.
There’s no doubt the Bengals approached this year’s draft with that reality in mind; for the second straight year, the team picked defensive players in the first three rounds drafting likely successors for older veterans Trey Hendrickson and Chidobe Awuzie entering the end of their deals. Below is an overview of the Bengals eight selections in 2023:
Round 1: Myles Murphy (DE) – Clemson
A great value pick for a guy who many had mocked going in the teens or early twenties. He was a five-star recruit coming out of high school who had decent, if not spectacular, production at a top-end program. At only 21, he’s also one of the youngest guys in the draft. He fits Lou Anarumo’s mold of big, powerful edge rushers who can also hold their own against the run. Expect him to slot in on passing-downs, potentially even as an inside rusher, and spell Trey Hendrickson against run-heavy teams like the Ravens.
Round 2: DJ Turner (CB) – Michigan
One word comes to mind: fast. Turner ran a blazing 4.26 forty-yard dash at the combine (the best among all players). Despite his relative small size he has shown aggressiveness in press coverage and the willingness to come up and play in the running game. He also sports positional versatility, which allows him to come in and spell CB Mike Hilton at nickel or be an insurance policy, and possible successor, to Awuzie on the boundary.
Round 3: Jordan Battle (S) – Alabama
Defensive stud from a big name program. Notice a pattern? This is the first pick that really surprised most observers who assumed the Bengals felt comfortable with S Dax Hill and S Nick Scott stepping in for the departed Jessie Bates, III and Vonn Bell. The team gushed over Battle’s work ethic, attitude, and leadership qualities and compared him to Bell. Expect Battle to be an immediate special teams contributor and first safety on the depth chart behind the starters.
Round 4: Charlie Jones (WR) – Purdue
Most observers expected a RB or TE with the first pick on offense, but Jones is a sure-handed slot guy who can provide an immediate boost in the return game and perhaps step into WR Tyler Boyd’s role if he moves on when his contract expires.
Round 5: Chase Brown (RB) – Illinois
Brown was workhorse at Illinois this year, racking up 328 attempts. With it looking more and more likely that RB Joe Mixon will be back on a re-worked deal, Brown likely steps into the Semaje Perine role as his top back-up and change of pace back. He still has work to do on pass catching and pass protection, but he has elusiveness and is great value at the end of the 5th.
Round 6: WR Andrei Iosivas (WR) – Princeton & Brad Robbins (P) – Michigan
In Robbins, the Bengals get a punter with elite hangtime who can immediately challenge incumbent Drue Chrisman in training camp. Iosivas is a raw project with off-the-chart athleticism who will likely need a year or two of seasoning before he can provide an impact.
Round 7: DJ Ivey (CB) – Miami
Another DJ in the defensive backfield. While most of the attention went to his teammate Tyrique Stevenson, Ivey quietly mixed in solid production and solid measurables for the Hurricanes. He’ll be expected to come in and be a special teams contributor and perhaps compete with free agent signee CB Sidney Jones IV.
About Jared Kamrass
Jared Kamrass Cincinnati Ohio is a principal at Technicolor Political. Jared Kamrass client roster includes DCCC, NRDC Action Fund, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, Mayor John Cranley (Cincinnati), Mayor Nan Whaley (Dayton), Senate Minority Leader Jeff Yarbro (Tennessee), State Rep. Brigid Kelly (Ohio HD-31) and the University of Cincinnati.