List of Cincinnati Bengals first-round draft picks

The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference North Division.^[3][4] Founded as an expansion team of the American Football League (AFL) in 1968, they joined the NFL as a result of the 1970 AFL–NFL merger.^[5][6][3] The team's home games have been held in downtown Cincinnati at Paycor Stadium since 2000.^[7]

Quarterback Joe Burrow was the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.^[1] After being injured during his rookie season, Burrow was named the 2021 AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year.^[2]

The NFL draft, officially known as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting",^[8][9][10] is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment.^[11] The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings; the teams with the worst win–loss records receive the earliest picks. Teams that qualified for the NFL playoffs select after non-qualifiers, and their order depends on how far they advanced, using their regular season record as a tie-breaker. The final two selections in the first round are reserved for the Super Bowl runner-up and champion. Draft picks are tradable and players or other picks can be acquired with them.^[12]

Since the team's first draft in 1968, the Bengals have selected 69 players in the first round. The team's first-round pick in their inaugural draft was Bob Johnson, a center from the University of Tennessee; he was the second overall selection.^[3][13] The Bengals have drafted number one overall four times and selected Dan Wilkinson in 1994, Ki-Jana Carter in 1995, Carson Palmer in 2003, and Joe Burrow in 2020.^[14] In the most recent draft, held in 2025, the Bengals chose Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Stewart.^[15]

The Bengals have drafted at least one player in the first round every year except for 1989.^[14] Only one of the team's first-round picks—Anthony Muñoz—has been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.^[16]

Player selections

Quarterback Carson Palmer was the first overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft.^[17] Palmer spent seven seasons with the team, during which time he was selected to two Pro Bowls and led the league in passing touchdowns during the 2005 NFL season.^[17][18]

Offensive tackle Anthony Muñoz was drafted with the third pick of the 1980 NFL draft.^[19] During his 13 seasons with the team, he was an 11-time All-Pro, 11-time Pro Bowler, and the 1991 NFL Man of the Year.^[19][20] He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998 and was selected to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.^[20][21]

Center Bob Johnson was the Bengals' first ever pick, selected second overall in 1968. He was an AFL All-Star during his rookie season and the Bengals retired the number 54 jersey in his honor.^[22][23]

Ja'Marr Chase is a wide receiver who was drafted fifth overall in the 2021 NFL draft. Since then, he has been a three-time Pro Bowler, a second-team All-Pro, and was named the 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year.^[24]

Key

Symbol	Meaning
†	Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
*	Selected number one overall

Position abbreviations
C	Center
DB	Defensive back
DE	Defensive end
DL	Defensive line
DT	Defensive tackle
G	Guard
LB	Linebacker
NT	Nose tackle
QB	Quarterback
RB	Running back
T	Tackle
TE	Tight end
WR	Wide receiver

Cincinnati Bengals first-round draft picks by season

Season	Pick[14]	Player[14]	Position[14]	College[14]	Notes
1968	2	Bob Johnson	C	Tennessee	Received two first-round selections, among other selections, as an expansion team.[A] Traded a pick to Miami Dolphins.[B]
1969	5	Greg Cook	QB	Cincinnati
1970	7	Mike Reid	DT	Penn State
1971	15	Vernon Holland	T	Tennessee State
1972	2	Sherman White	DE	California
1973	15	Isaac Curtis	WR	San Diego State
1974	23	Bill Kollar	DE	Montana State
1975	14	Glenn Cameron	DE	Florida
1976	11	Billy Brooks	WR	Oklahoma	Pick received from Philadelphia Eagles[C]
	24	Archie Griffin	RB	Ohio State
1977	3	Eddie Edwards	DE	Miami (FL)	Pick received from Buffalo Bills[D]
	8	Wilson Whitley	DT	Houston	Pick received from Philadelphia Eagles[E]
	22	Mike Cobb	TE	Michigan State
1978	8	Ross Browner	DE	Notre Dame	Pick received from Philadelphia Eagles[E]
	16	Blair Bush	C	Washington
1979	3	Jack Thompson	QB	Washington State
	12	Charles Alexander	RB	Louisiana State	Pick received from Washington Redskins[F]
1980	3	Anthony Muñoz†	T	USC
1981	10	David Verser	WR	Kansas
1982	26	Glen Collins	DE	Mississippi State
1983	25	Dave Rimington	C	Nebraska
1984	7	Ricky Hunley	LB	Arizona
	16	Pete Koch	NT	Maryland	Pick received from New England Patriots[H] using pick from Tampa Bay Buccaneers[G]
	28	Brian Blados	T	North Carolina	Pick received from New England Patriots[H] using pick from Tampa Bay Buccaneers[G]
1985	13	Eddie Brown	WR	Miami (FL)
	25	Emanuel King	LB	Alabama	Pick received from Seattle Seahawks[I]
1986	11	Joe Kelly	LB	Washington
	21	Tim McGee	WR	Tennessee	Pick received from Denver Broncos[J]
1987	17	Jason Buck	DL	BYU
1988	5	Rickey Dixon	DB	Oklahoma
1989	No pick				Moved down draft order in trade with Atlanta Falcons[K]
1990	12	James Francis	LB	Baylor
1991	18	Alfred Williams	DE	Colorado
1992	6	David Klingler	QB	Houston	Moved down in trade with Washington Redskins[L]
	28	Darryl Williams	DB	Miami (FL)	Moved up draft order in trade with Washington Redskins[L]
1993	5	John Copeland	DE	Alabama
1994	1	Dan Wilkinson*	DT	Ohio State
1995	1	Ki-Jana Carter*	RB	Penn State	Moved up draft order in trade with Carolina Panthers[M]
1996	10	Willie Anderson	T	Auburn
1997	14	Reinard Wilson	LB	Florida State
1998	13	Takeo Spikes	LB	Auburn	Pick received from Washington Redskins[N]
	17	Brian Simmons	LB	North Carolina
1999	3	Akili Smith	QB	Oregon
2000	4	Peter Warrick	WR	Florida State
2001	4	Justin Smith	DE	Missouri
2002	10	Levi Jones	T	Arizona
2003	1	Carson Palmer*	QB	USC
2004	26	Chris Perry	RB	Michigan	Moved down draft order in trades with Denver Broncos[O] and St. Louis Rams[P]
2005	17	David Pollack	LB	Georgia
2006	24	Johnathan Joseph	DB	South Carolina
2007	18	Leon Hall	DB	Michigan
2008	9	Keith Rivers	LB	USC
2009	6	Andre Smith	T	Alabama
2010	21	Jermaine Gresham	TE	Oklahoma
2011	4	A. J. Green	WR	Georgia
2012	17	Dre Kirkpatrick	DB	Alabama	Pick received from Oakland Raiders[Q]
	27	Kevin Zeitler	G	Wisconsin	Moved up draft order in trade with New England Patriots[R]
2013	21	Tyler Eifert	TE	Notre Dame
2014	24	Darqueze Dennard	DB	Michigan State
2015	21	Cedric Ogbuehi	T	Texas A&M
2016	24	William Jackson III	DB	Houston
2017	9	John Ross	WR	Washington
2018	21	Billy Price	C	Ohio State	Moved down draft order in trade with Buffalo Bills[S]
2019	11	Jonah Williams	T	Alabama
2020	1	Joe Burrow*	QB	LSU
2021	5	Ja'Marr Chase	WR	LSU
2022	31	Daxton Hill	DB	Michigan
2023	28	Myles Murphy	DE	Clemson
2024	18	Amarius Mims	T	Georgia
2025	17	Shemar Stewart	DE	Texas A&M

See also

• Cincinnati Bengals draft history
• History of the Cincinnati Bengals
• List of Cincinnati Bengals seasons

Notes

1. Cincinnati received the second and last selections in the first-round of the 1968 NFL/AFL draft due to their status as an incoming expansion team (Nos. 2 and 27 overall).^[25]
2. Cincinnati traded a 1968 first- and second-round selection (Nos. 27 and 54 overall) to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for quarterback John Stofa.^[25]
3. Cincinnati traded quarterback Mike Boryla to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for their 1975 sixth-round selection (No. 142 overall) and 1976 first-round selection (No. 11 overall).^[25]
4. Cincinnati traded defensive end Sherman White to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for their 1977 first-round selection (No. 3 overall).^[26]
5. Cincinnati traded linebacker Bill Bergey to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for their 1977 first-round selection (No. 8 overall) and 1978 first- and second-round selections (Nos. 8 and 35 overall).^[25]
6. Cincinnati traded defensive back Lemar Parrish and defensive end Coy Bacon to the Washington Redskins in exchange for their 1979 first-round selection (No. 12 overall).^[27][28]
7. Cincinnati traded quarterback Jack Thompson to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for their 1984 first-round selection (No. 1 overall).^[29]
8. Cincinnati traded a 1984 first-round selection (No. 1 overall, received from Tampa Bay Buccaneers)^[G] to the New England Patriots in exchange for two 1984 first-round selections, a tenth-round selection (Nos. 16, 28, and 265 overall), and a 1985 fifth-round selection (No. 129 overall).^[25]
9. Cincinnati traded center Blair Bush to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for their 1985 first-round selection (No. 25 overall).^[30]
10. Cincinnati traded the rights to linebacker Ricky Hunley to the Denver Broncos in exchange for their 1986 first- and third-round selection (Nos. 21 and 78 overall) and 1987 fifth-round selection (No. 139 overall).^[25]
11. Cincinnati traded their 1989 second-, fourth-, and tenth-round selections (Nos. 35, 89, and 256 overall) to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for their 1989 first-round selection (No. 27 overall).^[25]
12. Cincinnati traded their 1992 first- and third-round selections (Nos. 4 and 58 overall) to the Washington Redskins in exchange for their 1992 third- and two first-round selections (Nos. 6, 28, and 84 overall).^[25]
13. Cincinnati traded their 1995 first- and second-round selections (Nos. 5 and 36 overall) to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for their 1995 first-round selection (No. 1 overall).^[31]
14. Cincinnati traded quarterback Dan Wilkinson to the Washington Redskins in exchange for their 1998 first- and third-round selections (Nos. 17 and 78 overall).^[32]
15. Cincinnati traded their 2004 first-round selection (No. 17 overall) to the Denver Broncos in exchange for their 2004 first- and fourth-round selections (Nos. 24 and 117 overall).^[33]
16. Cincinnati traded a 2004 first-round selection (No. 24 overall, received from the Denver Broncos)^[O] to the St. Louis Rams in exchange for their 2004 first- and fourth-round selections (Nos. 26 and 123 overall).^[33]
17. Cincinnati traded quarterback Carson Palmer to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for their 2012 first-round selection (No. 17 overall) and 2013 second-round selection (No. 37 overall).^[34]
18. Cincinnati traded their 2012 first-round selection (No. 21 overall) to the New England Patriots in exchange for their 2011 first-round selection (No. 27 overall) and 2012 third-round selection (No. 93 overall).^[34]
19. Cincinnati traded their 2018 first- and sixth-round selections (Nos. 12 and 187 overall) to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for their 2018 first- and fifth-round selections (Nos. 21 and 158 overall).^[35]