In the last 18 years (as far back as recruiting rankings are available on 247Sports) the Bengals have made 19 1st Round Picks. 15 of those picks were Top 300 4-star or better recruits. 8 of those 19 picks were 5-star recruits, including the last 3 Round 1 selections. In the Zac Taylor era, 4 of the 6 Round 1 selections have been 5-stars, and this does not include Ja’Marr Chase who was rated a 5-star recruit on 247’s expert rankings but was lower on the Composite rankings. This year, 13 players in the Round 1 mix were 5 Stars coming out of high school, with multiple of them projected firmly in range at pick 17. Cincinnati has already met with 8 of those 13 5-star recruits in the Round 1 discussion. The Bengals front office clearly values that kind of pedigree early in the Draft. Below is the list of the Bengals’ last 18 1^st Round picks followed by every 5-star prospect in this draft and my take on the best fits for Cincinnati. Who are your favorite targets for the Bengals?

Bengals 1st Round Picks by Year and 247 Composite Recruiting Ranking

• 2024: Amarius Mims – 5 Star (#8 HS Ranking)
• 2023: Myles Murphy – 5 Star (#7)
• 2022: Dax Hill – 5 Star (#14)
• 2021: Ja’Marr Chase – 4 Star (#84)
• 2020: Joe Burrow – 4 Star (#295)
• 2019: Jonah Williams – 5 Star (#17)
• 2018: Billy Price – 4 Star (#215)
• 2017: John Ross – 4 Star (#277)
• 2016: William Jackson – 2 Star (#2246)
• 2015: Cedric Ogbuehi – 4 Star (#121)
• 2014: Darqueze Dennard – 3 Star (#1450)
• 2013: Tyler Eifert – 3 Star (#563)
• 2012: Dre Kirkpatrick – 5 Star (#14)
• 2012: Kevin Zeitler – 3 Star (#752)
• 2011: A.J. Green – 5 Star (#7)
• 2010: Jermaine Gresham – 4 Star (#65)
• 2009: Andre Smith – 5 Star (#1)
• 2008: Keith Rivers – 5 Star (#7)
• 2007: Leon Hall – 4 Star (#133)

2022 5-Stars on the Consensus Board Top 50

* Indicates they have met with the Bengals in the pre-draft process

• Travis Hunter, CB, #1 (HS Ranking)
• Walter Nolen*, DL, #2 
• Luther Burden III, WR, #3 
• Mykel Williams*, DL, #4 
• Shemar Stewart*, DL, #9 
• Will Johnson*, CB, #15 
• Josh Conerly Jr.*, OT, #16 
• Malaki Starks*, ATH, #19 
• Jihaad Campbell, EDGE, #21 
• Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, #33 

2021 5 Stars on the Consensus Board Top 50

* Indicates they have met with the Bengals in the pre-draft process

• Emeka Egbuka*, WR, #10 
• Donovan Jackson, IOL, #19 
• TreVeyon Henderson*, RB, #23 

Which 5-Star Prospects are the Bengals Targeting at the Top of the Draft?

• The Bengals met with Walter Nolen at the NFL Combine and brought him in for a 30 Visit this week. The explosive DT lives in the backfield and would be a great addition to that room. Having met with Nolen on two separate occasions (they did this last year with Amarius Mims), it would appear he is strongly in consideration to be a top option at pick 17.
• Cincinnati met with SEC EDGEs Mykel Williams and Shemar Stewart at the Combine. Both are big, long, athletic DEs who fit the prototype that Duke Tobin likes on the edge, but both are still raw when it comes to rushing the passer. With the right development the ceiling is high, but how soon can they be impact players?
• Will Johnson came into the season as a projected Top 5 pick. An up-and-down start to the season, followed by an injury that forced him to miss the rest of the year, has dropped him down boards. Still likely a Top 20 pick, do the Bengals, who met with him at the Combine, think he is good enough to take at 17 despite more pressing needs? Johnson will have a personal workout for teams next Monday, and how he tests could answer some questions.
• Josh Conerly Jr. has been good starting at LT for Oregon the past two seasons, and things finally started to click for him the second half of this year. One of his best performances came against Penn State’s Abdul Carter in the Big 10 Championship Game. Cincinnati brought Conerly in for a 30 Visit and he could be a Round 1 option in a trade back scenario, or if he drops to Round 2.
• Malaki Starks earned a starting spot as a true freshman playing Safety for the Bulldogs’ national title squad. He played plenty of roles at Georgia but would be at his best filling the Bengals’ need at Free Safety. Starks has great instincts and range on the back-end and is one of the surest tacklers at the position. By all accounts, teams were incredibly impressed by his Combine interviews and people at Georgia rave about his leadership and intelligence. Cincinnati is one of the teams that met with Starks at the Combine, and he feels strongly in play at pick 17.
• Jihaad Campbell has not yet met with the Bengals. Campbell was the #1 EDGE in his recruiting class but moved to off-ball LB at Alabama, so he could see the field earlier (Will Anderson Jr. and Dallas Turner were the starting EDGEs). Campbell is comfortably the best LB in the Draft. He is extremely fluid and aware in coverage, can chase sideline-to-sideline, is a great tackler, and his EDGE background shows up when asked to blitz. He is a Top 10 talent in this class but is currently dealing with a torn labrum that could force him to miss training camp and the start of the season.
• Kelvin Banks Jr. started at LT for all 3 of his years at Texas. Many project he will slide into Guard seamlessly in the NFL. The Bengals are yet to meet with Banks, but the idea of him playing Guard for two years, then replacing Orlando Brown Jr. at Left Tackle when his contract wraps up is certainly appealing.
• The team met with Emeka Egbuka at the Combine, but this was when Tee Higgins’ contract situation was still up in the air. Despite his talent, I can’t imagine the Bengals considering a WR at 17 anymore.
• Donovan Jackson was a 3-year starter at LG for the Buckeyes before an injury to Josh Simmons forced him to fill in at LT the second half of this past season. Jackson was very impressive down the stretch, particularly in the CFP. I still think his best spot is at Guard, but he offers real injury insurance for your OTs, which is ideal for Cincy. Jackson is projected anywhere from the mid-first to the early 2^nd. He could be in play for the Bengals in Round 1, particularly if they move back a few spots to acquire some additional picks. I have Jackson as the top ranked true Guard in this class.
• TreVeyon Henderson is one of the most explosive RBs in this class. He is also one of the best pass protecting backs. The Bengals brought him in on the equivalent of a 30 Visit, however it does not count against the 30-player limit since he is considered “local.” Henderson has a chance to sneak into Round 1 and likely goes early Round 2. If he is on the board at 49, does Cincinnati consider it? RB is not the biggest need, but he does fit the style of back they covet and would form an electric 1-2 punch with Chase Brown. 

#OleMiss IDL Walter Nolen. 6’3 305.

– Explosive first step.
– Heavy, fast hands. Upper body strength ++.
– Good lateral movement & COD for size.
– Solid base fundamentals/technician.

Did a much better job playing through contact this year. Fix pad level he’s 1st round imo. pic.twitter.com/15UD7irfFn

— Kyron Samuels (@kyronsamuels) January 7, 2025

5 Stars outside the Consensus Top 50 in this class

* Indicates they have met with the Bengals in the pre-draft process

• Quinn Ewers, QB, 2021 #1 – Round 3-5 projection
• JT Tuimoloau, DL, 2021 #4 – Round 2-3 
• Jack Sawyer*, DL, 2021 #5 – Round 2-4
• Shemar Turner, DL, 2021 #22 – Round 2-4
• Ja’Corey Brooks, WR, 2021 #27 – Round 5-7
• Kyle McCord, QB, 2021 #28 – Round 4-7
• Jason Marshall, CB, 2021 #29 – Round 6-UDFA
• Barrett Carter*, LB, 2021 #33 – Round 3-4 
• Smael Mondon Jr., LB, 2021 #35 – Round 3-5
• Jordan Burch, DT, 2020 #8 – Round 2-4
• Logan Brown, OT, 2019 #17 – Round 3-5
• Clay Webb, OC, 2019 #26 – Round 5-7

Best of the Rest: Which 5-Stars are the Bengals Targeting Outside of Round 1?

• The two Ohio State EDGEs, Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau, feel like potential Sam Hubbard replacements. Both are thicker DEs who thrive in the run game and finally showed some pass rush juice down the stretch in 2024. Sawyer, who has dropped down the consensus board since measuring in with 4^th percentile arm length at the Combine, met with the Bengals on a local visit this week. He feels like an ideal Day 2 target for the Bengals (especially if he makes it to pick 81) who once took a falling Hubbard in the same range. Sawyer was also a Team Captain and the spiritual leader of the 2024 Buckeyes’ defense, something the Bengals always look for.
• Linebackers Barrett Carter (Clemson) and Smael Mondon Jr. (Georgia) are among a crowded group of late day 2 to early day 3 LBs. That feels like a very likely part of the Draft for the Bengals to take a player to compete for the LB2 role. Both are a bit undersized but very fast, were starters their last 3 years for elite programs, and were used in many different roles on defense. Carter has already met with Cincinnati at the Combine. They each check a lot of boxes that the Bengals look for and should be considered prime targets in the middle rounds.
• Jordan Burch is a sturdy 6’4”, 279-pound EDGE that matches the body type the Bengals like at the position. He is a very good athlete. Burch is a bit one dimensional as a power rusher but offers a high floor and should be a long-time contributor on the DL.
• Logan Brown, an OT from Kansas, and Clay Webb, a G from Jacksonville State, are former 5-stars that started out at big P5 schools before transferring down and finding success as upperclassmen. Brown is a two-time Michigan HS State Champion in shotput. Clay Webb was an Alabama State Champion wrestler and had a 45-1 career record with 38 pins. Both are uber athletic, graded extremely well in PFF metrics, and could be Day 3 steals.

I’d be surprised if the Bengals do not end up with at least one of the 5-star players listed in this article with one of their picks. Keep these names in mind as we move toward draft day.