NFL Draft 2025: Meet the Cincinnati Bengals' newest players

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Cincinnati Bengals bolstered both the offensive and defensive lines during the 2025 NFL Draft.

Since locking down their big three of Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the Bengals went into the draft appearing to have the large chunk of their offense set.

Cincinnati needed to focus on strengthening the offensive line in a tough AFC North, but they also rounded out the defensive side under the leadership of new defensive coordinator Al Golden.

Meet the Bengals' newest players from the 2025 draft:

First Round

The Bengals picked edge rusher Shemar Stewart in the first round. A 6-foot-5, 267-pound junior out of Texas A&M, Stewart was third-team All-SEC last season, finishing the year with 31 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 2 passes broken up and a forced fumble.

Next Gen Stats ranked him as the fourth-most athletic EDGE in the combine, with experts marking his first-step burst and chase speed as big strengths.

"We anticipate getting a lot of production out of him," head coach Zac Taylor said of Stewart.

While there were questions around his production in college, Stewart asked for fans to "watch the tape, please!" He told our team that there were definitely times where he needed to wrap-up better or remember to not leave his feet at A&M, but "it's not like I can't get there."

WATCH: Our 1-on-1 with Bengals pick Shemar Stewart

Second Round

Cincinnati nabbed South Carolina linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. in the second round.

Knight, a 6-foot-2 and 235-pound senior, tied for the most forced fumbles on the team and finished the 2024 season with 82 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception. At this year's combine, Next Gen Stats ranked him fifth among linebackers in production.

Off the field, Knight has some famous family members. His cousin DeAngelo Hall was an All-American at Virginia Tech and a three-time Pro Bowler in the NFL. The Georgia native is also a distant cousin of Gladys Knight and Aretha Franklin.

Meet Demetrius Knight Jr. in our 1-on-1 below:

Third Round

After back-to-back defensive players, the Bengals selected Georgia guard Dylan Fairchild with the 81st pick.

The redshirt junior out of Cumming, Georgia, was second-team All-American and second-team All-SEC in 2024 after starting all 14 games for the Bulldogs. Based on athleticism alone, Next Gen Stats gave Fairchild the second-highest athleticism score of all guards at the combine.

WATCH: We sat down 1-on-1 with Dylan Fairchild

Fourth Round

The Bengals nabbed their second linebacker of the draft in the fourth round, selecting Clemson's Barrett Carter as the 119th pick.

The 6-foot and 231-pound senior from Suwanee, Georgia, was named a third-team AP All-American and a first-team All-ACC during the 2024 season. He was also a finalist for the Butkus Award, which is given to the nation's top linebacker. Carter started all 14 games in his senior season, collecting 82 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.

Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden said they drafted a second linebacker, specifically Carter, because they had a higher grade on Carter than his draft position.

Fifth Round

Cincinnati also added even more protection for Joe Burrow, selecting Miami (FL) guard Jalen Rivers in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

The 6-foot-6, 319-pound senior started eight games during his 2024 season at Miami, helping lead the way for the No. 1 offense in both points per game and yards per game. He missed five midseason games due to an injury. Other than his senior year injury, Rivers, a Jacksonville, Florida, native, also suffered injuries at the end of the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

Rivers earned an honorable mention All-ACC recognition after previously being named second-team All-ACC in 2023.

Sixth Round

With their final pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals grew their run game, selecting Texas Tech running back Tahj Brooks in the sixth round.

Brooks, a Manor, Texas, native, was named Big 12 Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year and second-team All-Big 12. The 22-year-old led the Red Raiders during the 2024 season with 17 rushing touchdowns.

Brooks is Texas Tech's all-time leading rusher, closing his career with 4,557 rushing yards over his 56 career games played. He is the only Red Raider in program history — and only the third player in Big 12 history — to have multiple 1,500-yard rushing seasons throughout his career.

The Bengals shared a video on social media of head coach Zac Taylor calling Brooks ahead of his selection, asking him "You wanna come be a Bengal?"

"Let's rock and roll. Let's do it," Brooks said.