After another defeat in which the offense scored points but the defense couldn't hold on, the Cincinnati Bengals fell to 4-8 after a 44-38 home loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a loss that all but sealed their playoff fate.
The Bengals are now five games behind, five games left to play in the AFC North, and are 3.5 games behind the Denver Broncos for the final AFC wild card spot. The official draft season may soon begin in Cincinnati.
After 13 weeks, the Bengals are ranked No. 9 in the draft order according to Tankathon. They have the easiest schedule among the three 4-8 teams, the others being the New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears. They are also just one game behind fifth place, currently held by the Carolina Panthers at 3-9, despite Carolina having an easier schedule. Cincinnati has an easier schedule than the other three 3-9 teams (New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns).
It's also the case that two of Cincinnati's next three games are against the Titans and Browns, so draft positioning will be on the line in Weeks 15 and 16. The Bengals travel to Dallas next week, who are not far behind the Bengals in the standings at 5-7. There will be a lot of new things in the next five weeks.
Current order of the 2025 NFL Draft
1. Jacksonville Jaguars 2-10
2. Las Vegas Raiders 2-10
3. New York Giants 2-10
4. New England Patriots 3-10
5. Carolina Panthers 3-9
6. New York Jets 3-9
7. Tennessee Titans 3-9
8. Cleveland Browns 3-9
9.Cincinnati Bengals 4-8
10. New Orleans Saints 4-8
11. Chicago Bears 4-8
12. Miami Dolphins 5-7
13. Dallas Cowboys 5-7
14. San Francisco 49ers 5-7
15. Indianapolis Colts 6-7
16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6-6
17. Los Angeles Rams 6-6
18. Arizona Cardinals 6-6
