Playmakers are needed on all three levels of the defense. I know the Bengals spent second- and fourth-round picks on linebackers in last year's draft, but Styles is a top-five talent they cannot pass up.

This pick came down to Styles and LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane. What the Bengals do in free agency might provide the tiebreaker. Styles would be a slam dunk to drop in the middle of the defense, despite rookie linebacker issues last season. If Cincinnati handles linebacker in free agency, Delane would be the ideal pick for a team not in need of an immediate starter but grabbing the top player at a premium position. He'd provide elite depth behind DJ Turner and Dax Hill, both in the last year of their contracts and seeking extensions. Either way, the defense needs more great players and, even at a non-premium position, Styles qualifies.

Caleb Downs is an instinctive, highly skilled, versatile safety who can be used in a number of different spots and in a number of different ways, and he never takes a snap off. He has a knack for being the guy who makes The Play every time one is needed.

One week ago, the Bengals shocked everyone by trading their No. 10 pick for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II. It was my top need for Cincinnati, even after the team signed Jonathan Allen in free agency. The only team that allowed more rushing yards per attempt last season than the Bengals (5.2) was ... the Giants, Lawrence's old team. Like just many, I was surprised to see the Bengals give up a top 10 pick for a 28-year-old veteran who needed a new contract, but these are draft grades, not trade grades.

Draft grades haven't been kind to the Bengals, either, though. They earned a "C" from me last year, tied with Atlanta for the lowest mark I handed out. I called it a "ho-hum draft" overall, and its centerpiece -- the risky Shemar Stewart first-round pick -- hasn't looked good after one year (one sack in eight games).

This year, Cincinnati came on the clock at No. 41 and took Cashius Howell, an extremely productive edge rusher. Howell had 11.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss last season, getting blockers off balance and beating them with superfast inside moves. He ran a 4.59 at 253 pounds -- that's quick. But will his 30¼-inch arms be a factor?

Mansoor Delane was a popular match for Cincinnati at No. 10 before the Lawrence trade, and while Tacario Davis in the third round isn't that level of premier cover CB1, he should be a solid option opposite DJ Turner II. The Bengals have to find a way to keep Joe Burrow happy and capitalize on the potent offense he leads. That means fielding a better defense; it's hard to win football games when the team is giving up a league-high 6.2 yards per play. Did the Bengals do enough? I'm not so sure.

On offense, Connor Lew might have been the top center if not for an ACL injury last season, and Brian Parker II in the sixth round represented a double up at the position, since he's likely kicking inside in the pros. Ted Karras is 33, though, so the same logic I had on the Bears center selection applies here. Give Burrow a young center with a lot of upside. Lew has 25 starts of experience.

We should know in a year or two if they chose the right course of action, shipping out the 10th pick for Lawrence, who definitively further upgrades a defense that has undermined this organization, QB Joe Burrow and Co. specifically, for years. But a win-now choice has to mean the Bengals literally win now and in 2027, especially since S Caleb Downs or pass rusher Rueben Bain Jr. could have been had for far less money than Lawrence and, likely, for several more years than the three-time Pro Bowler will ultimately provide. Undersized second-round DE Cashius Howell is a speedball who could help replace some of former DE Trey Hendrickson's production off the edge in sub packages.