The Cincinnati Bengals haven't exactly nailed the first round of the NFL Draft over the last four years. Ever since they made the no-brainer decisions to take Joe Burrow first overall, and then pair Ja'Marr Chase with him in 2021, they've had serious difficulty getting it right.
In order, Cincinnati has acquired defensive back Dax Hill, defensive end Myles Murphy, right tackle Amarius Mims, and another d-end in Shemar Stewart. Hill has bounced all over the backfield, Murphy showed little to nothing until this season, Mims is a passable/not stupendous starter, and Stewart's rookie campaign has been disappointing but obscured/sabotaged by injuries.
Perhaps picking a little higher in the order after clinching their first losing season since 2020 will help the Bengals get it right? Let's see what this intriguing new mock draft had to say...
2026 NFL Mock Draft authors agree Bengals must invest on defense, but are split on who to take
Over at FanSided's The Pewter Plank, which focuses on Tampa Bay Buccaneers coverage, our expert panelists starring Mike Luciano, Marcus Mosher, and Ryan Fowler all had different mock draft picks for the Bengals at 10th overall.
Whereas Mosher and Fowler focused on the secondary with Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane respectively, Luciano's write-up focused on the trenches with Auburn EDGE Keldric Faulk:
"With Shemar Stewart and Myles Murphy both flopping and Trey Hendrickson ready to get out of dodge, the pass rush room should be addressed. Faulk can line up anywhere on the defensive line, set the edge, and use his power to overwhelm tackles in a way that should convince Cincinnati he is worth a top pick."
Can't say I fully agree with the assessment here.
As mentioned in my intro, Murphy is, at long last, coming on strong in Year 3. Stewart's athletic profile and upside are so ridiculous that it'd be foolish to give up on him — unless, you know, he's part of a Maxx Crosby trade package or something of that sort.
What I do buy into is the notion of the Bengals drafting yet another defensive end with a third Day 1 pick in the last half-decade. Trey Hendrickson is likely finished in Cincinnati. Joseph Ossai is playing so well right now that he's liable to get paid more than the Bengals will want to fork over for him once he hits free agency. Past Day 3 draft pick Cam Sample is also hitting the open market.
That means as many as three Cincinnati edge defenders could be out the door heading into next season. If Stewart can put it all together, Murphy maintains his trajectory, and Faulk can provide any juice as a rookie, that'd suddenly be a solid trio to build around.
Then again, is Faulk the answer? He has only two sacks this season. Stewart's lack of collegiate production reared its ugly head at the pro level this year. A Twitter/X account I respect, NFL Draft Files, compared Faulk to the likes of Stewart and 49ers first-rounder Mykel Williams. Those guys ranked 52nd and 73rd on my final big board for a reason. Well, lots of reasons, but I digress...
In this mock lineup, I'm most into the idea of Caleb Downs by far. The Athletic's Dane Brugler chose him for the Bengals in his debut 2026 mock, which I covered here in great detail.
"Safest pick in the draft" sounds good to me! What can I say?
If that’s Caleb Downs waving goodbye to the Shoe in what was probably his last home game … s/o to him. Just a great, great football player who’ll be missed when he’s gone.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) November 23, 2025
A college scouting director told me last week he’s the safest pick in the draft. pic.twitter.com/cYedUdKFCm
Downs could replace Geno Stone as the Bengals' free safety. He's also capable of aligning in the slot to upgrade over Jalen Davis, an admittedly pleasant surprise promotion from the practice squad.
Getting a stud like Downs creates all kind of possibilities on the back end. He can line up at any given spot on the field. That'd give Al Golden or whomever the defensive coordinator is next season much more free rein to dial up exotic, disguised coverages.
Downs' presence would also allow Dax Hill to focus on playing boundary corner, which is where he looks most comfortable in his career to date.
Drafting Mansoor Delane would most likely leave Hill as the starting nickel. That's fine, just not the ideal situation. Plus, it'd only create tension as All-Pro caliber Bengals CB1 DJ Turner is eligible for an extension this offseason as he prepares for a contract year.
Cincinnati would definitely have the combo of Turner and Delane on the outside for one season, but the latter's presence would muddy the former's future with the team.
We have many months before the actual draft rolls around. Can't wait to talk through every fathomable scenario as the time gets closer. After all, the draft and free agency is all Who Dey Nation has to look forward to beyond seeing Joe Burrow play more games.