The Cincinnati Bengals can't be too proud or leave any stone unturned when it comes to upgrading the roster around superstar quarterback Joe Burrow in 2026.
Returning to the playoffs should be the bare minimum. Zero excuses not to at least get back to the postseason, provided Burrow is healthy. If it means resorting to a blockbuster trade with an AFC North adversary, so be it.
Fear of coming out on the wrong end of an in-division trade could preclude the Bengals from pulling off a hypothetical deal. Having said that, these teams did just do business this past season, and it worked out well for Cincinnati.
Browns reportedly exploring another huge trade down in 2026 NFL Draft
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported that Browns GM Andrew Berry is keen to pull off another big draft day trade like last year:
"The Browns will explore opportunities to trade down from No. 6 in hopes of finding a blockbuster deal like last year. [...] The second-best quarterback in the class is Alabama’s Ty Simpson, whom the Browns will consider at No. 6, No. 24 and No. 39. But if a team loves Simpson or another player and makes the Browns an offer they can’t refuse, they’ll once again jump at the chance. The Browns are admittedly in rebuilding mode and can use all the high picks they can get."
Cleveland gained an extra 2026 first-round pick to move back three spots in the 2025 draft, allowing the Jaguars to select Travis Hunter No. 2 overall. Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham was Cleveland's pick at No. 5. He had a solid, if not spectacular, rookie campaign.
Berry and the closest thing the Bengals have to his counterpart, Duke Tobin, pulled off one of the splashiest in-season NFL trades in recent memory last season.
Joe Flacco arrived in Cincinnati in the wake of Burrow's latest major injury and Jake Browning's poor performance. Flacco absolutely balled out at times, to the point where he might've earned another starting opportunity.
It's wild to me that Ty Simpson, with one season of collegiate starting experience and increasingly alarming game film as the year progressed, is considered this lock QB2 prospect behind Indiana's Fernando Mendoza. I would laugh forever if Cleveland took him with the sixth overall pick.
Anyway, on the Bengals' side of this, they could be compelled to move up from the 10th to sixth overall pick to guarantee that they score a blue-chip prospect.
Why would they do that, when the 2027 draft is allegedly way better? Because there is no tomorrow for this team. Burrow isn't going to wait around beyond this season if Cincinnati fails to make the playoffs again. Barring some drastic defensive improvements, that outcome is very much on the table. That's why Burrow has publicly emphasized how important this offseason is.
Like sure, maybe it's unnecessary for the Bengals to trade up. If I were Tobin, I wouldn't leave anything to chance to draft a rookie starter who can actually have a positive impact this year.
Why pray that, say, Caleb Downs or Sonny Styles falls to the 10th pick? Take the guesswork out of it. Identify the dude you want, and go get him.
Fans should be geeked up at the mere whiff of a possibility that Cincinnati's front office could go all-in on the draft like this. Personally, my body is ready for this.
Given how these top 60 prospects stack up, and the fact that the Bengals don't need a pure boundary CB or WR, how can the front office possibly emerge from the first two rounds without at least *ONE* immediate-impact rookie?
— Stripe Hype (@StripeHype) February 23, 2026
Seriously, is it too much to ask for? https://t.co/9blToKftK0