When Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury in Week 11 last year, it all but sank the Cincinnati Bengals‘ chances of repeating the success it had the two previous years — an AFC Championship Game appearance in 2022 and a trip to Super Bowl 56 in 2021.
The Bengals finished 9-8 in 2023, and Burrow is slated to return to action in May after undergoing surgery to repair a torn wrist ligament.
The good news for Cincinnati is it owned all of its original picks in the upcoming NFL Draft, along with a few extras picked up along the way. Let’s take a look at the full list of the Cincinnati Bengals’ picks in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Full List of Bengals Draft Picks by Round in 2024
- Round 1, Pick 18
Amarius Mims, OT | Georgia - Round 2, Pick 49
Kris Jenkins, DT | Michigan - Round 3, Pick 80
Jermaine Burton, WR | Alabama - Round 3, Pick 97 (Compensatory)
McKinnley Jackson, DT | Texas A&M - Round 4, Pick 115
Erick All Jr., TE | Iowa - Round 5, Pick 149
Josh Newton, CB | TCU - Round 6, Pick 194
Tanner McLachlan, TE | Arizona - Round 6, Pick 214 (Compensatory)
Cedric Johnson, EDGE | Ole Miss - Round 7, Pick 224 (from HOU through ARI)
Daijahn Anthony, S | Ole Miss - Round 7, Pick 237
Matt Lee, C | Miami
Who Did the Bengals Draft in 2024?
Amarius Mims, OT, Round 1, Pick 18
With pick No. 18, the Bengals took advantage of the deep tackle class — selecting Amarius Mims out of Georgia.
The knock on Mims was his lack of playing experience. He’s only managed to start in eight career games for the Bulldogs amid having an injury history. However, when he was in action, Mims’ blocking became a sight to behold among Georgia fans.
PFN’s Ian Cummings is one who took a liking to Mims’ potential. He even predicted a possible mid-round landing for the massive 6’7″, 340-pounder.
Former @GeorgiaFootball OT Amarius Mims has arguably the highest ceiling of any player at the position in this draft class. 🚀#GoDawgs | #RuleTheJungle pic.twitter.com/eYMx6b7LqT
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) April 26, 2024
“Mims grades out as a top-32 prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft class, whose raw talent could earn him early-to-mid Round 1 capital. He doesn’t grade quite as highly as blue-chip OTs like Joe Alt and Olu Fashanu, but he’s in the next tier,” Cummings said.
“Physically, Mims has one of the highest ceilings in the 2024 NFL Draft’s OT crop. At 6’7″, 340 pounds, he’s a dominating specimen with high-end athleticism both in space and in short areas, and he has suffocating strength and deadly power capacity.”
Kris Jenkins, DT, Round 2, Pick 49
The Bengals start the 2024 NFL Draft acquiring size on both sides of the ball. First with Mims, and now with Kris Jenkins. Jenkins is a big and powerful DT who is going to bring instant size and strength to the middle of the Bengals’ defense.
KEEP READING: Kris Jenkins Scouting Report
According to Cummings, this is a quality selection by the Bengals who could see instant impact from Day 1.
“Being the son of a former NFL All-Pro, it’s no surprise that Jenkins has some of the most enthralling tools in the class. He’s an incredibly explosive athlete off the snap, both laterally and vertically, and has suffocating strength at the point of attack.”
“Going further, with his burst, twitch, and mass, Jenkins can levy impressive amounts of power into his attacks, and as he trends up with his hand usage and energy efficiency, it’s exciting to think about the potential that remains unearthed.”
Jermaine Burton, WR, Round 3, Pick 80
Cincinnati took care of the trenches in the first two rounds and used the third to add a playmaker on the outside for Joe Burrow. Jermain Burton comes in as a productive WR who was a key piece to both the Georgia Bulldogs and Alabama Crimson Tide offenses.
KEEP READING: Jermaine Burton Scouting Report
Burton is an interesting WR prospect, who has put together impressive tape, and has a chance to fit in and help right away with the Bengals, according to Cummings.
“Purely off of film, Burton grades out as a top-64 prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft and one of the more underrated prospects in the class. Character evaluations will play a large role in solidifying Burton’s stock, but if he doesn’t hold himself back, there’s little preventing him from being a dynamic receiving weapon.”
McKinnley Jackson, DT, Round 3, Pick 97
The Bengals double-dip at the DT position with their final pick of the third round. They select another big man to help clog up the middle with the selection of McKinnley Jackson.
KEEP READING: McKinnley Jackson Scouting Report
According to Cummings, “Jackson grades out as a fringe top-100 prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft. Due to the positional scarcity of true nose tackles, he could go in the mid-to-late Day 2 range, or he could be a value addition on Day 3. Either way, he presents plenty of upside.”
Erick All Jr., TE, Round 4, Pick 115
The Bengals add another weapon for Joe Burrow and the offense to work with. While there looks to be some changes coming to what this offense can look like in 2024 and beyond, Cincy looks committed to keeping Burrow stocked with pass-catching options.
Josh Newton, CB, Round 5, Pick 149
With their fifth-round selection, the Bengals add Josh Newton, the talented CB out of TCU.
KEEP READING: Josh Newton’s Scouting Report
Cummings says, “Newton grades out as a top-100 prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft on my board. He’ll be an older rookie, and he doesn’t have the highest physical ceiling among his peers, but he’s still worthy of mid-to-late Day 2 capital as a scheme-versatile CB prospect.”
Tanner McLachlan, TE, Round 6, Pick 194
The Bengals double-dip at the TE position with the selection of Tanner McLachlan. They are looking to add more weapons for Joe Burrow, while also adding size to their TE room and this is another move to confirm that.
Cedric Johnson, EDGE, Round 6, Pick 214
The Bengals add another defensive lineman with their sixth-round selection. Cincy is clearly looking to reload at the key position, and as they look ahead to the next season, they will have some fresh new faces to rush the passer and stop the run.
Daijahn Anthony, S, Round 7, Pick 224
With their second to last draft pick, the Bengals add a piece to their secondary that they will surely look to work with and have an early impact on special teams.
Matt Lee, C, Round 7, Pick 237
With the final pick of the Bengals 2024 NFL Draft, they add another piece to their OL room with the selection of C Matt Lee.