The Cincinnati Bengals have mostly sat out the compensatory pick process in recent years while rebuilding.
But the team doesn’t have much of a say in the matter this year.
The Bengals, as expected, lost safety Jessie Bates to the Atlanta Falcons. In a surprise development, the team lost fellow starting safety Vonn Bell to the Carolina Panthers.
According to Nick Korte of Over The Cap, the Bengals will net a third-round pick for losing Bates and a fifth-round pick for losing Bell.
Compensatory picks aren’t a win-now thing that helps the team compete in 2023, but it’s better than nothing for losing Bates to the fourth-highest safety contract ever and Bell choosing more guaranteed cash and a big Year 2 cap hit they didn’t want to afford.
Of course, the Bengals could influence this process by getting active on outside free agents and they very well could. They probably will take a look at the best Bell replacement free agents on the market and have needs at spots like tight end and cornerback, too.
But for now, the Bengals stand to gain two extra picks in the next draft.
