The Baltimore Ravens walked away from the 2025 NFL Draft with one of the strongest classes in the league while some of the other AFC North teams... didn't. The Cincinnati Bengals, still reeling from a pretty chaotic offseason, failed to capitalize on a golden opportunity to close the gap in the AFC North. And if the goal was to reassure fans they’re serious about fixing glaring issues, their draft class did the exact opposite.
Between the Trey Hendrickson fiasco, a defense that cratered in 2024, and a front office intent on paying receivers like they play quarterback, this was already shaping up to be an offseason full of strange decisions. The draft only magnified that dysfunction. And for Ravens fans, who just watched their own front office secure a well-balanced, high-upside group that actually fits their needs, Cincinnati’s downward spiral is pure gold.
More Bengals draft blunders:
For Bengals fans hoping the draft would fix things? Think again. And for Ravens fans, this feels like a gift that keeps on giving.
Ravens fans can only laugh at Bengals’ clueless direction
The Bengals needed a smart, focused draft to make up for a string of questionable moves—and they delivered the opposite. ESPN’s Jordan Reid didn’t hold back in his review of Cincinnati’s class, naming them his least favorite in the entire league. The biggest issue? Drafting the wrong players at the wrong spots:
“Defensive tackle Derrick Harmon would have been a better value pick than edge Shemar Stewart was at No. 17,” Reid wrote. “Linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. and guard Dylan Fairchild were selected a round earlier than I projected. I had Knight graded as a late third-round pick, while Fairchild was viewed as an early Day 3 prospect.”
That’s what we call in the biz a brutal misread of the board—much to Baltimore’s benefit.
Stewart, their first-rounder, is the biggest gamble—analysts even warned the Ravens to steer clear. He has elite athleticism, but his college production was nearly nonexistent (4.5 sacks in three seasons). And remember—this is the guy they expect to replace 17.5-sack machine Trey Hendrickson, who is still seeking a new deal and was given permission to explore a trade earlier this offseason. If they let him walk? That’s a hilariously awful and awesome decision.
And while Cincinnati’s linebacker room needed help, they took not one but two LBs in Knight and Barrett Carter—while ignoring safety altogether and waiting until the fifth round to even touch their O-line again. They needed starters. They drafted projects.
It’s part of a bigger issue. The Bengals are investing massive money into Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to run back the same offense—while their defense keeps hemorrhaging talent. They paid their stars and bet the rest would figure itself out. That’s not team-building. That’s hoping for a miracle.
Meanwhile, Baltimore stayed disciplined and added difference-makers like Malaki Starks and Mike Green—players with the talent to contribute right away. They’re still the Kings of the North. And the Bengals just did a tremendous job keeping it that way.