The Cincinnati Bengals are set to enter the 2026 NFL Draft with the 10th-overall pick, and it’s no secret that the team will be targeting defensive players. The Bengals already have an elite offense, but a struggling defense; so the 10th pick will be used on, hopefully, a culture-setting defensive prospect.
One of the players who fits that profile is Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles. The former Buckeye is considered the best off-ball linebacker in the draft, and he could stay in Ohio, finding a home in the middle of the Bengals defense. Unfortunately for Cincinnati, Styles could be well off the board by the time the team is on the clock.
That was made clear in FanSided’s recent 2026 Big Board, where draft analyst Mike Luciano ranked the 50-best prospects. Styles was ranked third on the list, only trailing fellow Ohio State defenders Arvell Reese and Caleb Downs. While prospects are rarely drafted in the order that they are ranked, it’s unlikely that Styles will still be on the board when it’s time for Cincinnati to select a player.
Bengals expected to miss out on FanSided’s third-ranked prospect Sonny Styles
Styles has impressive size at 6-foot-5, 244 pounds, and his athleticism is off the charts — lighting up the NFL combine with his 4.46 40-yard dash and other impressive testing marks. The linebacker has even drawn comparisons to legendary linebackers like Fred Warner and Brian Urlacher. Luciano laid out what makes Styles so special, and why he could be long gone before the Bengals pick.
"Styles had about as perfect a combine as one could expect from a linebacker prospect, as he established himself as a 6-5 titan with wide receiver speed and the football IQ to match. While he doesn't show much upside as a blitzer, Styles is one of the safest players in this Draft, so much so that positional value worries shouldn't stop him from being picked in the top 10 and becoming an instant starter."Mike Luciano (FanSided)
The majority of mock drafts have the linebacker coming off the board within the first five picks, so if Cincinnati really wants the linebacker, the franchise will have to trade at least five spots up. At that point, the Bengals will have to ask themselves if Styles is worth sacrificing resources, like other picks.
The answer will probably be no, and while that means the team is likely going to miss out on the promising linebacker, Cincinnati is still in a good spot to walk away with an impact defensive contributor. The team is believed to be in the range to land top secondary players like safety Caleb Downs or cornerback Mansoor Delane. They may not be inside linebackers, but both could help change the defense.
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