The Cincinnati Bengals pulled off possibly the biggest surprise of the offseason, trading the 10th overall pick to the New York Giants for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.
That trade, along with the acquisitions of Jonathan Allen and Boye Mafe in free agency, are moves the Bengals made to help shore up one of the worst defensive lines in the NFL last season.
Now that the draft commences in the second round with the 41st overall pick for the men in stripes, there are two prospects whom we hope the front office has at the top of their board.
Treydan Stukes makes too much sense at 41
Previously, we argued that the draft could hinge on Cincinnati targeting Stukes with the 41st overall pick. And that was well before the Bengals made the trade for Lawrence.
We tried to appeal to the Bengals’ way of doing things by appealing to physical characteristics such as his 6'6" height, which ranks in the 99th percentile. His 4.33 40-yard dash was in the 98th percentile, while his 10-yard split was in the 92nd percentile for defensive backs.
For some reason, people still insist on citing RAS scores as a reliable measure of who is good at football. In that case, Stukes had a 9.95 score, ranking him 15th among all cornerbacks from 1987 to 2026.
If you are into RAS scores and advanced stats, Stukes is in rarefied air amongst some of the NFL's best cornerbacks. Since 2018, four prospects have had a RAS score greater than 9.85, a man coverage grade better than 70.0, and a zone coverage grade above 80.0.
Those four cornerbacks are Jaycee Horn, Pat Surtain II, Christian Gonzalez, and Treydan Stukes.
Stukes is also on a short list just behind DJ Turner and Quinyon Mitchell as CB prospects with a man-to-man coverage grade above 82.0, a zone coverage grade greater than 70.0, a RAS score greater than 9.50, and a 40 time under 4.42, since 2019.
According to PFF, Stukes has the third-best man coverage grade among corners in this year's draft behind Mansoor Delane and Andre Fuller.
Yes, Stukes is 24 years old, but so was Demetrius Knight Jr. when the Bengals selected him in the second round last year. And while Knight may not have been the ideal choice for that pick, this is not that.
Stukes would come in right away and be a starter at the nickel position, which was something we were hoping Caleb Downs could do if he were the Bengals’ selection at 10.
Stukes could also play safety, as some "experts" believe that, given his frame, speed, and ability to hit and tackle, he would make for a very good safety in the NFL.
As ESPN insider Adam Schefter pointed out earlier today, “One NFL general manager called Stukes ‘one of the best safeties I've seen [in my time as a GM],’ and added he would draft him ahead of Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. ‘This guy makes freaky plays that I haven't seen other safeties make.’ It would not be a shock to see Stukes sneaks into Round 1.”
Great minds think alike!
Something else we have chastised the organization for is its insistence on succession planning and drafting players to play behind starters who are currently under contract.
Both starters, Turner and Hill, are entering a contract year. Even so, the Bengals do not have the luxury of selecting succession plans in this draft, as they need to find players who can help them now. Hence, the Dexter Lawrence trade.
The Bengals mustn't find an outside corner when the starters at those positions are already in the building, especially when they were the bright spots on defense amid a bleak season.
However, Stukes could offer them a possible succession plan if Dax Hill did not return to Cincinnati in 2027. Hopefully, that will not be the case, but if it were, Stukes would be in the building.
Finally, most importantly, Stukes is an excellent football player. Being good at playing football tends to get lost in the shuffle as fans, and sometimes even professional scouts, get lost in Twitter highlights as opposed to actually watching games.
Heading into draft weekend, Stukes ranks 61st (PFF), 71st (CBS), 57th (MDD), 72nd (NFLDraft Buzz), and 63rd (Tankathon) across various outlets.
And while those rankings are well below where we think Stukes will come off the board, there is growing sentiment that he might not make it out of the first round.
Jake Golday is a versatile linebacker upgrade they need
The other player that Cincinnati should have near the top of their draft board with the 41st overall pick is the University of Cincinnati linebacker Jake Golday.
The principal reason the Bengals must consider Golday is their need for linebacker help. That position was a problem last year, as the Bengals relied on two rookies to hold down the fort.
Perhaps that would have been a better plan if the players they selected had been able to immediately contribute to helping the team win last season. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
For the Bearcats last year, Golday recorded 105 tackles, six tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks.
Golday also had an excellent RAS score of 9.85, ranking 53rd among linebackers from 1987 to 2026.
He's a versatile linebacker that defensive coordinator Al Golden could use as a chess piece, as Golday can play middle and outside linebacker, edge rusher, and even drop back into coverage and be effective.
There is at least one advanced stat site that has two blue-chip linebackers in this year's draft. Those two are Ohio State's Sonny Styles and Golday.
And again, for those of you who like advanced stats, along with your RAS scores, Golday is one of four linebacker prospects since 2015 with a run defense grade above 88.0, a coverage grade above 80, and an RAS score above 9.5.
Fred Warner, Leighton Vander Esch, Jacob Rodriguez, and Golday are the four.
Golday ranks 59th (PFF), 36th (CBS), 58th (MDD), 58th (Tankathon), and 61st (NFLDraft Buzz) across draft services.
If those rankings hold true, Golday will not be an option for Cincinnati at 72.
Versatility used to be a word that we heard a lot in the past few draft seasons. We haven't heard it as much, but Stukes and Golday offer a great deal of versatility. With limited picks to help round out the defense in 2026, that becomes even more valuable.
And they both happen to be excellent football players beyond lining up at different positions, RAS scores, and advanced stats.
Tiebreaker goes to Stukes if it comes to that
If either Stukes or Golday is off the board when the Bengals are on the clock at 41, the obvious choice would be to select the other. If the unenviable position of both being off the board, obviously, the Bengals will have to pivot, hopefully, by trading back and accumulating more picks in the third round.
However, if both are still on the board, then the tiebreaker must go to Stukes.
For as much as we love Golday as a prospect and a former Cincinnati Bearcat, there are still excellent options at linebacker who could immediately upgrade the position at 72 and 110.
Michigan’s Jaishawn Barham and TCU’s Kaleb Elarms-Orr would be the way to go in that scenario.
We would not feel as comfortable about finding another cornerback or safety in round 3 or on Day 3.
Nevertheless, the Bengals must go into Friday night, the second day of the draft, with the intention of selecting Stukes or Golday to further improve upon the defense and continue a very successful offseason.
And who knows, with a bit of luck, if the Bengals take one, the other may slide to them in the third round. But that would be wishful thinking on our part.
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