The Cincinnati Bengals would love nothing more than for Miami pass rusher Rueben Bain Jr. to fall to them at No. 10 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. With concerns about his historically short arms, there is a good chance that his measurables knock him down a peg or two.
The concern for a Bengals team in dire need of a pass rusher after Trey Hendrickson left for the Ravens and Shemar Stewart showed little in his first season is the fact that there is a major drop-off in talent between Bain and some of the other top linemen in this class.
Worry not, Bengals fans. Even if Bain is gone, the Bengals can bring in an impact player on Day 2 of the draft if they manage to bring in one of these five sleepers that can eventually mold themselves into starters.
5 EDGE prospects Bengals can draft if they miss on Rueben Bain Jr.
5. Keyron Crawford, Auburn
While often overshadowed by teammate and projected top-20 pick Keldric Faulk, Crawford has taken some major steps in the right direction by improving his pass rush counters and improving upin his impressive get-off. He will have a home as a designated pass rusher as a rookie.
4. Mikail Kamara, Indiana
Kamara is perhaps the best player who was not invited to the NFL Combine. A key edge-setter and disruptor for the national champion Hoosiers, Kamara is the type of hand-in-the-dirt rusher that Cincinnati needs as depth after losing Joseph Ossai in free agency.
3. Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State
Dennis-Sutton not only profiles as someone who can set the edge well at the professional level, but he could have more pass rush upside than many prognosticators expected after some solid testing at the NFL combine. In the third round, DDS could be coming to Cincinnati.
2. Joshua Josephs, Tennessee
Fans may not like drafting another "all traits, minimal production" guy like Josephs, but with a rare combination of get-off and length that wasn't always properly utilized in college, a professional environment might be able to turn him from a raw bag of talent into a weapon for a contending defense.
1. Malachi Lawrence, UCF
Lawrence is going to be picked in the Top 75, as he dominated the NFL Combine by showing a mouth-watering combination of power and speed. Lawrence needs to fill out his frame, but he could be a rare Day 2 prospect who starts compiling double-digit sacks right out of the gate.