The Cincinnati Bengals are often allergic to splashy moves. They struggle to even pay their own players what they're worth until one or two years too late (see: Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Trey Hendrickson, et al.).
So where do I get off thinking that there's any chance the Bengals would trade a top-10 draft pick for a ready-made player who can contribute to winning now, during the 2026 season? Maybe if we say it all together often enough, it'll come to pass. Manifestation, if you will.
Anyway, it's a long offseason. Let's have some fun instead of ruminating over all the ways Duke Tobin could mess up the 10th overall pick, shall we?
Bengals should avoid another first-round draft project by going all-in on trade with No. 10 pick
And the nominees are...
Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins are rebuilding. They’d love the chance to have back-to-back picks at Nos. 10 and 11, or if this trade were to go down prior to the draft, they could possibly use it as ammunition to acquire a quarterback of the future one way or another.
Minkah Fitzpatrick is the caliber of player who probably doesn't want to see through another rebuild. Not in a division with Josh Allen and Drake Maye as opposing QBs, and a roster that is miles away from the likes of New England and Buffalo that's facing a lot of turnover this offseason.
Not many better safeties you could possibly ask for to replace Geno Stone if you're Cincinnati. Fitzpatrick is the answer to the riddle of the position that's struggled since Jessie Bates fled to Atlanta.
Read More: 4 Bengals players who definitely won't be back in 2026
Jordan Davis, DL, Philadelphia Eagles
The 13th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Georgia has really established himself as a consistent, disruptive force with straight-up freaky movement skills at 6'6", 336 pounds.
You can't coach those kind of traits. Nor can you will a player to work at his craft to become one of the very best. Davis has done that by a couple highly notable accounts.
When you close your eyes and think of the best defensive linemen on the Eagles of this generation, who do you think of? Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox comprise the correct answer. Both have recent rave reviews of Davis' dedication to being his best.
What Jordan Davis did this offseason was amazing pic.twitter.com/5wnS2fTp7e
— Brandon Graham Unblocked (@BG_Unblocked) January 9, 2026
"Jordan Davis has taken football very seriously... he is our most consistent defensive player."
— Ashlyn Sullivan (@ashlynrsullivan) January 11, 2026
Caught up with the honorary captain Fletcher Cox who tells me Davis was an absolute snub from the Pro Bowl and All Pro team. pic.twitter.com/pkoFrIGA2D
There are a lot of first-round caliber defensive tackles in this 2026 draft class like Peter Woods, Caleb Banks, Kayden McDonald, Christen Miller, A’Mauri Washington, and even Lee Hunter.
Eagles GM Howie Roseman could swing this deal and scoop up any of those prospects with the 10th or 23rd picks to save lots of money down the road. Meanwhile, Davis would be the best defensive tackle the Bengals have had in a long, long time.
Vita Vea, DL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The last two paragraphs from the Davis section could be fitted right here for Vita Vea. Tampa Bay is at a major crossroads, and Vea is entering a contract year. If the Bucs flop in 2026, Baker Mayfield may not even be around as the franchise QB.
Where would that leave Vea? And his trade value will never be higher than it is now. Were I in Duke Tobin's seat, I could hand a blank check to a 347-pound dynamo like Vea, who's been a paragon of dominant consistency throughout his NFL career.
I can't think of a better pure run stopper in recent pro football history than this guy. How desperately do the Bengals need one of those? Very desperately. I'll try to stop with the rhetorical questions.
NO clue if the Bucs would do this or if it'd take a bit more to put a trade over the line, but my goodness, Vita Vea would like, dare I say, Domata Peko 6.0-esque in Bengals stripes.