This is going to be a big week for all you draft heads out there. The NFL Scouting Combine is just kicking off, and Cincinnati Bengals fans should be as dialed in as ever to drink it all in.
Usually, it's after the Combine when we really know where stocks stand for all these draft NFL Draft prospects. You can see a full breakdown of the schedule for the event here.
Before the festivities begin in earnest, however, let's rattle off another mock draft. There's always fun in trying to predict who the Bengals team may take, but this exercise is also in the interest of comparing where some of these prospects stand before and after the Combine. It's arguably the most critical event for all draftees leading up to the big day in April.
So, here's yet another Bengals mock draft, for all eight of the picks they have (for now) in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Stats courtesy of Sports Reference CFB.
Round 1, Pick 10: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
While Stripe Hype's own Matt Fitzgerald brings up a compelling point that the Bengals may be less interested in drafting Downs with the re-signing of nickel Jalen Davis last week, there's still probably more possibilities of the way the board looks at #10, where taking Caleb Downs is not only very much in play, but is probably the best option.
You all know by now how good Downs' collegiate career was, especially once he got to the Buckeyes. Two-time All-American, Jim Thorpe award winner, one of the most pivotal pieces on Ohio State's National Championship run in the 2024-25 season. Even at Alabama, Downs won SEC Freshman of the Year in his only season with the Crimson Tide.
He's the best safety prospect since Ravens' Kyle Hamilton from the 2022 draft class, and just like Hamilton, Downs is a versatile defender, the type of player you want if you have multiple holes on defense like the Bengals.
Not to mention, since Bates' departure in the 2023 offseason, Cincinnati has desperately tried to fill the hole he's left behind, and they've really failed to do so at every turn. Drafting Downs would likely mark the end of this multi-year search for the Jessie Bates replacement.
Naturally, it depends on who else is available, but if Downs is there when the Bengals go up to the podium, he'll most likely be their best bet to get back to contention in 2026.
Round 2, Pick 41: Gennings Dunker, OT, Iowa
For perhaps the first time in the Joe Burrow era, the offensive line wasn't a major issue in 2025. They struggled in run-blocking, especially early on, but they were, at worst, an average pass-blocking unit. Dylan Fairchild looked like one of the better rookie offensive linemen from this draft.
Dalton Risner might be the best guard Cincy's had since Kevin Zeitler. Amarius Mims is developing into a franchise cornerstone at tackle. Finally, while they may have lost a step, veterans Ted Karras and Orlando Brown Jr. were still serviceable in 2025.
I'm man enough to admit that Scott Peters has proved me wrong-- and then some.
So, why would they take a tackle early? Well, the Bengals have made it a habit to prepare for upcoming departures by drafting their replacements a year early these past few drafts.
Orlando Brown Jr.'s contract will be up after the 2026-27 regular season. He likely won't command the 4 year, $64 million contract that the Bengals got him to Cincinnati with, but even on a cheaper deal, the Bengals might not take him back. He'll be 31 by the time the 2027 regular season starts, and we know how apprehensive the front office is to give 30+ year olds multi-year contracts.
This leads to the Bengals drafting a tackle relatively early, and Iowa's Gennings Dunker might be their answer at 41. Dunker spent all four years of his collegiate career at Iowa, having his best season in 2025 when he earned 1st-team All-Big Ten honors. Despite being overshadowed by the likes of Caleb Lomu, Francis Mauigoa, and Spencer Fano, Dunker is an intriguing prospect at tackle, especially for Cincinnati.
If you watch film and/or read scouting reports, two things will consistently jump out at you. One, his raw power, and two, his proficiency as a blocker in the run game. It comes with playing for a college like Iowa, whose identities are built around ground-and-pound football (they had the 13th-highest rushing play percentage in the FBS in 2025).
The Bengals have struggled to get consistently solid run-blocking from their offensive linemen, and drafting Dunker will help immensely with that.
Round 3, Pick 72: Darrell Jackson Jr., DT, Florida State
While Darrell Jackson Jr.'s stock fell out of the first round in 2025 (as recorded here by NFL Mock Draft Database), getting him in the third round to address the monkey that has been on the defense's back since 2021 would be huge for Cincinnati. Everyone talks about how much losing Bates has cost the Bengals and the seemingly never-ending search they've been on to replace him, but what about Larry Ogunjobi? He was on the Bengals during their magical Super Bowl run to cap off the 2021-22 season, and then walked in free agency.
The Bengals have missed the pass rush he was able to provide as an interior defensive lineman ever since.
That's not to say Darrell Jackson Jr. will come in and immediately correct what has arguably been the biggest flaw of the Bengals' defense these last few seasons. However, in three seasons in the ACC (first with Miami, then on FSU), Jackson has recorded 7.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss, which aren't bad numbers for a defensive tackle.
Jackson is not a full-on game wrecker, hence his Day 2 draft status, but he can push the pocket and has more pass rush juice than you'll get from almost any other defensive tackle prospect in the third round.
He also has an impressive, intimidating frame at a towering 6'5, 328 pounds, which allows him to plug holes as a run defender. Having Jackson on the d-line opens things up for other players, notably B.J. Hill, who has at his best when he had D.J. Reader beside him.
Round 4, Pick 110: Skyler Bell, WR, UConn
Round 6, Pick 188: Jadon Canady, CB, Oregon
Round 6, Pick 198: Kaleb Elarms-Orr, LB, TCU
Round 7, Pick 227: Robert Henry Jr., RB, UTSA
Day 3 sees Cincinnati split their four picks on offense and defense, starting with the Huskies' Skyler Bell, who is coming off an All-American selection as he finished 2025 with 101 receptions for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The Bengals have struggled to replicate Tyler Boyd's production at WR3, and Bell could be the solution, with the versatility to line up in the slot or as a Z receiver. Some sources and mock drafts have predicted Bell to go in the third-- which wouldn't be surprising-- but he did struggle to see the field much at Wisconsin before transferring to UConn and will be 24 years old in his rookie season, which could turn teams away from taking him in the first 2 days.
Next is cornerback Jadon Canady out of Oregon. While Jalen Davis did get locked down for another year in Cincinnati, the Bengals may (and should) look to add more competition at the nickel position.
While Jalen Davis played extremely well, it is a small sample size of only half a season. If he goes down, the Bengals might be forced to kick Dax Hill back inside, even though he performed far better on the boundary. Drafting Canady helps eliminate that possibility, as he can fill in at slot corner if Davis were to suffer injury and have to be sidelined.
With their second pick of the 6th round, the Bengals select linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr out of TCU. Preferably, they'd get a linebacker earlier than the 6th, but Cincinnati could double down on their selections of Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter in the 2025 draft.
If the Bengals sign a linebacker in free agency, they're likely not going to draft one within the first two days. Elarms-Orr wouldn't be a bad pick for the 6th round, recording 130 tackles, 11 TFLs, and 4.0 sacks in 2025 with the Horned Frogs.
Finally, with their last pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Bengals select running back Robert Henry Jr. out of Texas-San Antonio.
Do the Bengals need a running back? No, Chase Brown is coming off his first season breaking 1,000 yards rushing, and Samaje Perine turned out to be a surprisingly good reunion signing. That being said, running back is the most volatile position in the NFL. Injuries and wear and tear mount up. Quality running backs can become unplayable in the span of one season.
It never hurts to bring some youth in at the position, and Robert Henry Jr. will probably be the best available ball-carrier in the 7th round. One of the better running backs in the G6, Henry rushed for over 1,000 yards on nearly 7.0 yards per carry, scoring 11 total touchdowns in 2025 for the UTSA Roadrunners.
The NFL Scouting Combine is just getting underway, and any one of these players could fall or rise with their performance in Indianapolis. We'll see how well this mock draft ages in the coming days.