TheNFL 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 theNFL 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 theSuper Bowl runner-up and champion. Draft picks aretradable and players or other picks can be acquired with them.[12]
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 thePro Football Hall of Fame.[16]
^Cincinnati received the second and last selections in the first-round of the1968 NFL/AFL draft due to their status as an incoming expansion team (Nos. 2 and 27 overall).[25]
^Cincinnati traded a 1968 first- and second-round selection (Nos. 27 and 54 overall) to theMiami Dolphins in exchange for quarterbackJohn Stofa.[25]
^Cincinnati traded quarterbackMike Boryla to thePhiladelphia Eagles in exchange for their 1975 sixth-round selection (No. 142 overall) and 1976 first-round selection (No. 11 overall).[25]
^Cincinnati traded defensive endSherman White to theBuffalo Bills in exchange for their 1977 first-round selection (No. 3 overall).[26]
^abCincinnati traded linebackerBill Bergey to thePhiladelphia 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]
^abCincinnati traded a 1984 first-round selection (No. 1 overall, received fromTampa Bay Buccaneers)[G] to theNew 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]
^Cincinnati traded centerBlair Bush to theSeattle Seahawks in exchange for their 1985 first-round selection (No. 25 overall).[30]
^Cincinnati traded the rights to linebackerRicky Hunley to theDenver 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]
^Cincinnati traded their 1989 second-, fourth-, and tenth-round selections (Nos. 35, 89, and 256 overall) to theAtlanta Falcons in exchange for their 1989 first-round selection (No. 27 overall).[25]
^abCincinnati traded their 1992 first- and third-round selections (Nos. 4 and 58 overall) to theWashington Redskins in exchange for their 1992 third- and two first-round selections (Nos. 6, 28, and 84 overall).[25]
^Cincinnati traded their 1995 first- and second-round selections (Nos. 5 and 36 overall) to theCarolina Panthers in exchange for their 1995 first-round selection (No. 1 overall).[31]
^Cincinnati traded quarterbackDan Wilkinson to theWashington Redskins in exchange for their 1998 first- and third-round selections (Nos. 17 and 78 overall).[32]
^abCincinnati traded their 2004 first-round selection (No. 17 overall) to theDenver Broncos in exchange for their 2004 first- and fourth-round selections (Nos. 24 and 117 overall).[33]
^Cincinnati traded a 2004 first-round selection (No. 24 overall, received from theDenver Broncos)[O] to theSt. Louis Rams in exchange for their 2004 first- and fourth-round selections (Nos. 26 and 123 overall).[33]
^Cincinnati traded quarterbackCarson Palmer to theOakland Raiders in exchange for their 2012 first-round selection (No. 17 overall) and 2013 second-round selection (No. 37 overall).[34]
^Cincinnati traded their 2012 first-round selection (No. 21 overall) to theNew England Patriots in exchange for their 2011 first-round selection (No. 27 overall) and 2012 third-round selection (No. 93 overall).[34]
^Cincinnati traded their 2018 first- and sixth-round selections (Nos. 12 and 187 overall) to theBuffalo Bills in exchange for their 2018 first- and fifth-round selections (Nos. 21 and 158 overall).[35]
