Bengals best, worst picks include 4.5 sack pass-rusher, 82-tackle linebacker

The 2025 NFL Draft is now behind us, and most teams are likely feeling good about their selections. 

The Cincinnati Bengals are a team that entered the draft with some very clear needs. For example, the team needed to patch holes on a defense that underperformed in 2024, and some help on the offensive line was needed as well. 

In the first round, the team selected an athletic edge-rusher in Shemar Stewart out of Texas A&M. The Bengals certainly needed pass-rushers, and Stewart put up insane testing numbers at the combine in Indianapolis. 

Elsewhere, the team added off-ball linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. in the second round and offensive lineman Dylan Fairchild in the third, among others. 

Now that we're a couple of weeks removed, let's identify the best and worst pick the team made during draft weekend. 

Best Pick: Round 4, Pick 119- Barrett Carter, LB, Clemson

Barrett Carter could end up becoming the best player in the Bengals' 2025 class. 

Carter was a tackling machine at Clemson, racking up 82 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and seven pass deflections in 2024. The linebacker earned a respectable 68.0 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus in 2024. 

Carter has the speed and strength to contribute as a run defender, in pass coverage, and provide an occasional boost as a pass rusher. The Bengals are widely expected to trade Germaine Pratt before the 2025 season, and Carter could slot in perfectly in the veteran's place. 

The team also chose an off-ball linebacker in Demetrius Knight Jr. in the second round. However, that seemed a little high to draft the South Carolina product, and Carter is better as a pass-rusher and in pass coverage. 

Worst Pick; Round 1, Pick 17- Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M 

The biggest need for the Bengals was arguably the pass rush, so it made sense on paper to select Stewart.

Stewart is an athletic freak and has everything NFL teams want to see in an edge-rusher- except production. Despite his freakish test scores, Stewart managed just 4.5 sacks in three seasons of college ball. 

The Bengals need a player who can immediately contribute, not a raw prospect who will likely need time to adjust to the NFL. When the Bengals took Stewart, there were more established options available on the board like James Pearce Jr., Donovan Ezeiruaku, and J.T. Tuimoloau. 

The Bengals' need for pass-rush production will only increase if/when Trey Hendrickson is traded. Will Stewart be ready to jump in and contribute immediately? It seems doubtful, and the rookie is already holding out from minicamp.