The Cincinnati Bengals are historically content to stick and pick wherever they are in the first round of any given NFL Draft, but the math could change a little bit in the new year this April.
Armed with the 10th overall pick thanks to an abject failure of a 6-11 season, Cincinnati will have to shell out more money than usual to the lead rookie from its impending draft class.
An under-resourced scouting department that Duke Tobin confirmed won't grow in size puts the Bengals at a disadvantage as is. Ownership's penchant for hard-ball negotiations and cutting cost-related corners adds to the drama for their first-round picks.
Remember what happened with Shemar Stewart? Cincinnati refused to budge on offset language, which kept Stewart out of much of the offseason program. Guess what he did as a rookie? A whole lot of nothing.
Buckle up, y'all. Let's get weird and dive into the odyssey that should be the Bengals' 2026 NFL Draft.
How much will Bengals weigh expense of 10th pick with positional value?
Spotrac released the official value of each first-round pick's rookie contract. If the Bengals remain at 10th overall, they'll be on the hook for at least a four-year contract with $29.87 million in total value. That includes $7.47 million in average annual value, and an $18.2 million signing bonus.
If Cincinnati is going to pay a premium cost for a rookie, the inclination might be to skew toward a higher-value position like, say, defensive end or offensive tackle. There are bigger roster needs at defensive tackle, safety, and linebacker, yet those are lower-value positions.
Between the cost and positional value arguments, along with the scouting department's rather arbitrary height-weight thresholds, sorry to say Bengals fans, but get ready to learn "Keldric Faulk."
On the topic of David Bailey and the Bengals, we don’t expect him to be an option.
— Gridiron Grading (@GridironGrading) December 31, 2025
The Bengals haven’t drafted a DE/EDGE under 265 pounds on Day 1/2 since Alfred Williams in 1991.
Bailey will likely be in the 245/250 range.
Their process is their process until it isn’t. https://t.co/KbRVDjthO3
What are the chances the Bengals trade down from No. 10 pick in 2026 NFL Draft?
Perfect transition from that last X post about trading down.
Do people really think the Bengals would miss out on an opportunity to save money, acquire extra picks for the promise of tomorrow, and baffle their fans at every possible turn? Of course not!
Honestly, if the draft breaks a certain way, there's a good chance all the blue-chip prospects will be gone. Oregon quarterback Dante Moore no longer looks like a viable top-10 pick and could stay in school. That means another non-QB is liable to be off the board once Cincinnati goes on the clock.
Here's where I'm going with all this: It's obvious the Bengals need a defensive tackle. They can wait on a safety type in Round 2, or fill that need in free agency.
Read More: A 2026 Bengals mock draft that tries to be as bad at this as Duke Tobin is
The top prospects at that position include Clemson's Peter Woods, Florida's Caleb Banks, and Ohio State's Kayden McDonald. You could throw Georgia star Christen Miller, Oregon product A'Mauri Washington, and even Texas Tech standout Lee Hunter into that first-round mix, too.
Not all of these guys are liable to be quality pros, but I suspect most of them will be. Say the oft-aggressive Lions at pick No. 17 want to move up. The Bengals would save $8 million by dropping from 10 to 17 in the draft order in that scenario.
Unless Cincinnati becomes enamored of Faulk, or really likes one of the d-tackles to the point where sticking and picking is worth it, a trade down feels like a rather strong possibility.
Could a blockbuster trade for an established superstar be in the offing...?
The quick answer is "probably not." We can dream, though, can't we?
Trading the 10th pick for a proven Pro Bowl-caliber player would be a signal to Joe Burrow and the locker room that the Bengals are serious about finally winning a Lombardi Trophy. I'd prefer this splurge to be on a defensive player, but anything that signals bold intentions would be a massive win.
Perhaps the Raiders would be willing to move off Maxx Crosby at long last, as they stare down the barrel of another rebuild in a loaded AFC West division. He'd be my No. 1 target.
We all know Cincinnati hates to shell out a bunch of guaranteed money. Crosby has zero guaranteed dollars remaining on his current contract after the 2026 season. A match made in heaven!
It'd probably take more than just the 10th pick to score Crosby. In any event, something like that would be the best gift the Bengals front office could give to Who Dey Nation. And trading a relatively expensive top-10 draft pick contract to offset some of the cost of bringing on a star like Crosby would make it even more appealing for Cincinnati to pull off.
Food for thought, Duke!!