Bengals NFL Draft grades roundup: How the experts view Cincinnati's 2024 draft class

10 picks gave the Cincinnati Bengals the third-most selections in the 2024 NFL Draft, but how well did they use them?

Cincinnati went half-and-half on offense and defense, bolstering the trenches on both sides of the ball, and adding some skill players to boot. There were "safe" picks as well as home run swings throughout all seven rounds.

I gave my grade for the Bengals' draft class, now let's see how the rest of the NFL world graded the haul.

Pro Football Focus: B+

"The Bengals find a potential long-term starter in the fourth round, with All ranking as the third-best tight end on the PFF big board. His 2.62 yards per route in 2023 ranked second among draft-eligible tight ends." - PFF on Bengals' fourth-round pick Erick All.

Fox Sports: A

"They brought in Sheldon Rankins in free agency, but they'll be hoping Kris Jenkins and McKinnley Jackson are the future of the defensive front. They still have Tee Higgins on the roster, but Jermaine Burton is an immediate option and could be a long-term replacement. This is how good teams stay on top: planning for the future." - David Helman on the Bengals' draft strategy.

The Score: B

"Upside was the theme of the Bengals' draft. Mims, most notably, has All-Pro potential at offensive tackle. There's some risk in making such a pick this early, as he makes the jump to the NFL with minimal starting experience. But he's more polished than you might expect, and it's tough to find linemen with his combination of size and athleticism." - The Score on Bengals' first-round selection Amarius Mims.

Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN: B

"With 10 selections here, the Bengals were able to target their roster holes, but they overdrafted a couple of guys, which limits the ceiling on this grade." - Mel Kiper Jr. on the Bengals' draft.

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: B-

"Duke Tobin has done a nice job drafting for the Bengals and this is a nice group — and could be a great one. The risk is first-round offensive tackle Amarius Mims, who has just eight starts in his career. He is a boom-or-bust player in my book. Taking Kris Jenkins and Jackson will help offset the loss of D.J. Reader in free agency." - Pete Prisco on how the Bengals drafted.

Chad Reuter, NFL.com: B-

"Cincinnati was part of the tight end run in the fourth round, picking All despite injury concerns. Newton had a tough go at times during his senior year, but he could prove to be a nice find in the fifth round. Same goes for sixth-rounders McLachlan and Johnson. The Bengals picked Anthony with the seventh-round pick acquired from Houston for running back Joe Mixon." - Chad Reuter on the Bengals' Day 3 haul.

Danny Kelly, The Ringer: A

"The Bengals looked to the trenches with their two early picks in this draft. They grabbed a super high-upside tackle in Amarius Mims in the first round, before adding a high-energy, tone-setting defensive tackle in Kris Jenkins in the second. I liked the Mims pick in particular; he’s a boom-or-bust prospect because of his extreme lack of experience (just eight college starts), but he brings truly elite potential thanks to his immense size and rare movement skills." - Danny Kelly on the Bengals' first two picks.

Cam Mellor, Pro Football Network: B

"The Bengals clearly prioritized addressing both the offensive and defensive line units heading into the 2024 NFL Draft and executed that strategy effectively by investing three of their first four picks in the trenches with Georgia OT Amarius Mims, Michigan DT Kris Jenkins, and Texas A&M DT McKinnley Jackson." - Cam Mellor on the Bengals' approach in the first three rounds of the draft.

Matt Verderame, Sports Illustrated: B-

"The Bengals had a clear mission to beef up along the lines. Cincinnati spent three of its four picks in the trenches, including the ultimate boom-or-bust choice with Mims, who started only eight games in college. The Bengals also took a wild card in Burton, whose tape is great but has legitimate off-field concerns." - Matt Verderame on the risks Cincinnati took in the first three round.

Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports: A-

"Burton is not your classic Round 3 receiver — he has borderline first-round talent as one of the truly premier vertical threat. All and McLachlan are two reasonable talented pass-catching tight ends, and keep an eye on Johnson as an ascending rusher who can climb the depth chart because of his explosiveness and glimpses of hand work." - Chris Trapasso on the Bengals' newest pass catchers.

Charles McDonald, Yahoo! Sports: B+

"Mims did not play a ton of football in college, but man, was he good when he was on the field. He has everything you want in a starting tackle from size, wingspan, athleticism and technique. Availability is going to be the only thing that can stop him from being a bulldozer up front for the Bengals. This was a foundational pick for the Bengals, shoring up their offensive line with a player who has elite upside." - Charles McDonald on his favorite draft pick the Bengals made.

Joe Goodberry, First Star Logistics: C+

"I thought they got average value throughout. I thought they got a bunch of players that could be starters down the line. Mims could be a starter, Kris Jenkins could be a starter, Jermaine Burton, McKinnley Jackson, Erick All or Tanner McLachlan ... and then Matt Lee could end up being a starting center for them down the line. The chances of them hitting all of those when it's so risky—the risky picks they made—probably cuts the grade down a little bit for me." - Joe Goodberry on the potential of the Bengals' draft.