The Cincinnati Bengals took a long-term approach to the 2023 NFL draft and it showed on the field.
It also shows in the latest regrading effort.
Over at The Athletic, Diante Lee issued the Bengals a “D” grade while spotlighting the first three picks of the class:
The Bengals took three swings on defense to open the 2023 draft — Myles Murphy (No. 28), DJ Turner II (No. 60) and Jordan Battle (No. 95) — and Turner looks most likely to grow into a full-time starter. Battle struggled to grasp the communication and play-to-play responsibilities of Cincinnati’s defense; Murphy didn’t make much of an impact, even as his participation increased.
In Cincinnati’s defense, none of the three were supposed to play that often. Murphy was to rotate with Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson, Turner was to do the same, but Chidobe Awuzie never fully got healthy and at safety, Nick Scott was a flop.
Still, that’s what happens when rookies are shoved into action because the depth isn’t right at other spots. If there’s any consolation, all three guys can still turn into long-term starters and Charlie Jones, Chase Brown and Andrei Iosivas showed flashes of being able to contribute in the base offense over the long-term and/or special teams.
