Each day leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft — April 23-25 — TeamFB7 will break down a different team’s biggest draft need and the best selection to address it. Granted, teams will most often use their first-round pick on the best available player/value and not necessarily always their biggest need, so this isn’t going to compile together into a mock draft in the end. It’s more a breakdown of how each team could best address its most paramount priority if it chooses.
The Cincinnati Bengals had arrived.
They reached the Super Bowl after the 2021 season, coming so close to the franchise’s first title in a 23-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, and then made it back to the AFC championship game the next year, losing by 3 points in a rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Bengals had one of the best young quarterbacks in the game in Joe Burrow just at the start of his prime along with one of the top wide receiver tandems in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins — a young nucleus of elite offensive talent most every team in the NFL could envy.
What could go possibly wrong?
Well … Cincinnati has missed the playoffs three straight seasons since then and tumbled all the way to 6-11 last year. Burrow has yet to win the MVP that seemed inevitable, but he might have a chance in 2026 to become the first-ever three-time NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
That’s certainly been a major part of the Bengals’ struggles in recent years.
Burrow missed the final seven games of the 2023 season while undergoing surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right wrist. He missed nine games last season with a severe turf toe injury.
But the Bengals’ woes go well beyond Burrow’s injuries.
The team was just 5-5 in games he started in 2023, went 9-8 in 2024 despite getting a full season from the star QB and was 5-3 in his eight starts last year.
Cincinnati’s inability to field a competent defense has been the biggest reason that Bengals’ championship window proved to be so fleeting.
Even with Burrow missing more than half of last season, the Bengals ranked a respectable 12th in the NFL in scoring (24.4 points per game). But they ranked 30th in points allowed (28.9 PPG) and 31st in total defense (380.9 yards per game allowed). In early November, they were on pace to give up the most points in NFL history (granted the league only moved to 17 games in 2021) before eventually averting that dubious distinction.
This was nothing new.
Cincinnati’s Ongoing Defensive Woes
Cincinnati ranked 25th in in both total defense (348.3 YPG) and points allowed in 2024 (25.5 PPG). In 2023, the Bengals finished 31st in total defense (374.6 YPG) and 21st in points allowed (22.6 PPG).
They already tried changing the defensive coordinator, firing Lou Anarumo (who was part of the breakout 2021-22 seasons) after the 2024 season and bringing in Al Golden.
And personnel-wise, the Bengals look arguably worse-off defensively right now than they were last year!
Four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, who had an NFL-leading 35 sacks between the 2023-24 seasons before being limited to seven games by injury last year, signed a 4-year, $112-million deal with the Ravens. Fellow edge rusher Joseph Ossai, who had 5 sacks each of the last two seasons, signed with the Jets for 3 years and $34.5 million. And safety Geno Stone departed for the Bills after posting 104 tackles, 2 sacks and 2 interceptions in 2025 (although PFF ranked him 81st out of 98 qualifying safeties).
To replace Hendrickson, Cincinnati greatly overpaid for former Seahawks edge rusher Boye Mafe, who has 20 sacks in four NFL seasons but was moved to a rotational reserve role for the Super Bowl champs while totaling 31 tackles and 2 sacks in 17 games last season. For that, he got an absurd 3-year, $60-million contract from the desperate Bengals.
They replaced Stone by paying top dollar for former Chiefs safety Bryan Cook (3 years, $40.25 million), who had 85 tackles, 1 TFL and 0 INTs. And they splurged on veteran defensive tackle Jonathan Allen for 2 years and $25 million (only $7.5 million guaranteed). The nine-year veteran and two-time Pro Bowl selection isn’t the same factor he was at his peak with the Commanders but had 68 tackles and 3.5 sacks for the Vikings last year.
It’s hard to see how the Bengals are going to be any less hapless defensively in 2026 as currently constructed unless they’re banking on several young starters to all take a major leap forward.
Which is an even bigger problem for Cincinnati if it wants to keep Burrow long-term.
The 29-year-old superstar has played most of his career behind bad offensive lines that can’t protect him while trying to make up for bad defenses that don’t support him.
So it shouldn’t have really been a surprise last December when Burrow started openly venting about not having fun playing the game and questioning his future.
The Bengals elected to bring back head coach Zac Taylor even though he’s made the playoffs just twice — those two peak seasons — in seven years and has a 52-63-1 overall record. Golden is back as defensive coordinator too.
There’s no doubt a healthy Burrow, Chase, Higgins and running back Chase Brown will put up big numbers in 2026, but if nothing changes on the other side it will just be another wasted year of that offensive talent and Burrow’s prime — along with another test to his withering patience.
The last real hope to change the defensive outlook now rests with the upcoming NFL draft, where the Bengals hold the following picks — listed by round (overall selection): 1 (10), 2 (41), 3 (72), 4 (110), 6 (189), 6 (199), 7 (221) and 7 (226).
What Are The Biggest Needs For The Cincinnati Bengals In The 2026 NFL Draft?
If we haven’t belabored the point enough yet, the top of this draft needs to be ALL about defense for Cincinnati.
The Bengals are set at the offensive skill positions and return their entire starting offensive line intact as well.
So let’s get right into the priority defensive needs.
The only position to truly cross off as a potential target in the early rounds of this draft for Cincinnati is defensive tackle.
The signing of Allen on the interior of the defensive line paired with B.J. Hill (66 tackles, 4 sacks in 2025) is actually one of the strengths of the unit. (Not to mention there are no high-end DTs to even consider at No. 10).
The rest all needs — or could merit — attention for one reason or another.
Edge Rusher A Priority
Losing Hendrickson and Ossai at edge rusher and settling for the overpaid Mafe in free agency leaves that as perhaps the biggest position of need.
Myles Murphy broke out in his third season with a career-high 52 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss with 41 total pressures (per PFF), but that’s about it for returning production. Shemar Stewart, the No. 17 overall pick in the 2025 draft, was a disappointment as a rookie after a prolonged contract standoff, tallying just 11 tackles and 1 sack while being limited to eight games by a knee injury. The Bengals are very much invested in remaining optimistic he breaks out in 2026, though.
The problem for trying to upgrade that unit in the draft is it’s likely the top tier of EDGE prospects — Ohio State’s Arvell Reese (a certain top 5 pick), Texas Tech’s David Bailey and Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. — are likely to be gone by pick 10. So Cincinnati could reach to the next group of EDGE prospects or address a different need with their top pick.
Like cornerback or linebacker.
Cornerback An Opportunity
Cornerback is an interesting case in that the Bengals actually have two solid, emerging young starters in Dax Hill and DJ Turner II, but both are free agents after this season with their rookie contracts expiring and retaining them could be a challenge for the team.
Hill, a 2022 first-round pick, had 88 tackles, 1 INT and 11 passes defended last season and ranked 49th out of 114 CBs by PFF. Turner, a 2023 second-round pick, actually graded out 19th on that scale by PFF with an isolated pass coverage grade of 78.1 that ranked 6th among all CBs while totaling 40 tackles, 2 INTs, 18 PDs and 2 forced fumbles.
So for 2026, the top of the cornerback depth chart is fine, but the depth is thin (former starter Cam Taylor-Britt was benched last season and left in free agency for the Colts), the future uncertain and there is still a chance to upgrade the unit both for the present and future.
As it stands, veteran Jalen Davis (a backup/reserve for almost all of his eight NFL seasons) and newly signed former Chargers/Jets rotational reserve Ja’Sir Taylor are set to fill the nickel role. Davis started three games there late last season and notched his first career interception. But the Bengals could consider moving the versatile Hill inside if they draft a cornerback early.
And there’s a chance the consensus top CB in the draft — LSU’s Mansoor Delane — is still on the board at No. 10.
Drafting Delane would make a ton of sense for the Bengals. Either it allows them to move Hill inside and upgrade that nickel spot with Delane and Turner on the outside, or the three work in a rotation while the rookie eases into the NFL. It would also provide valuable and needed depth regardless. But most importantly, it sets the Bengals up for the future if they decide they can’t pay the price to keep both Hill and Turner beyond 2026.
Linebacker An Obvious Position To Upgrade
As for linebacker, the Bengals have two young starters coming off shaky rookie seasons.
Demetrius Knight Jr., a second-round pick last year, had 106 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 INTs and a FF. PFF ranked him 83rd out of 88 qualifying linebackers with an overall grade of 40.2, marking him for 16 missed tackles with a run defense grade of 34.4 that ranked 87th out of 88 LBs.
Barrett Carter, a fourth-round selection last year, had 106 tackles and an INT. PFF graded him 85th out of 88 LBs (39.5), marked him for 18 missed tackles and evaluated him as a liability in both run defense and coverage.
Meanwhile, not to be outdone, well-traveled veteran Oren Burks joined the Bengals last season and was even worse, per PFF — ranking dead-last, 88th out of 88 qualifying linebackers with a grade of 30.2 in 340 snaps.
Not surprisingly, Cincinnati ranked last in the NFL in rush defense, giving up 147.1 YPG on the ground.
Given that the Bengals signed no linebackers in free agency, they surely have to be eying an upgrade or at least competition for those three in the draft.
But it’s highly unlikely the top linebacker prospect — Ohio State’s Sonny Styles — is available anywhere near the No. 10 pick.
Too Good To Pass Up?
Then there’s safety. On the surface, it wouldn’t seem like a position the Bengals would prioritize in the first round over all those other more pressing needs.
Jordan Battle is back at strong safety after leading the Bengals with 125 tackles, 4 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles last season, and the team made that big free agent investment in signing Cook to pair with him.
But Battle is also in the final year of his rookie contract and set to be a free agent after the season, and while the coaching staff consistently praises his development and potential, Battle has also been a frustrating player at times. He ranked among the leaders is missed tackles among safeties in 2025 with 17 — a persistent issue for him — and PFF graded him 62nd out of 98 qualifying safeties (61.5).
There’s a real chance Ohio State star Caleb Downs, the consensus top safety prospect, is available at No. 10, which would give Cincinnati a lot to think about.
So what should the Bengals do with that first-round selection?
Who Should Cincinnati Bengals Select In First Round Of 2026 NFL Draft?
It all depends on who is available, which given the Bengals’ vast array of needs means the decision may be made for them.
Styles is the only inside linebacker with a first-round draft grade in this class, but he could go as early as No. 5 to the Giants and would be unlikely to make it past the Commanders at No. 7.
If Styles surprisingly slips to No. 10, that makes an easy decision for Cincinnati.
Let’s assume he’s not, though.
As noted, of the top-tier edge rushers in this draft, Ohio State’s Reese is a lock for the top-5, it’s hard to see any chance Bailey makes it this far in the draft and we’d be surprised if Bain fell past both the Saints at No. 8 and the Chiefs at No. 9, if not going earlier with so many teams needing EDGE help and a perceived drop-off after those top three options.
But there’s at least a chance Bain tumbles to No. 10. His short arm measurement (30 7/8 inches) at the NFL Scouting Combine raised at least some concerns about his peak NFL potential, but there are just as many draft analysts unfazed and bullish on his upside after he led a suffocating Miami defense to the national championship game with 9.5 sacks, 15.5 TFLs and 66 total pressures (per PFF).
If Bain is on the board at No. 10, again, that would be an easy decision for the Bengals.
If both Styles and Bain are gone, as we’d expect, there’s a good chance that means either or both of the aforementioned LSU cornerback Delane and the Ohio State safety Downs are available.
If it’s both, the Bengals have a really interesting decision to make.
Cornerback is the more pressing need and the first-team All-American Delane is the consensus top prospect at the position after turning in a sensational season of stifling coverage for LSU. He had 2 INTs and 11 PDs in 11 games, but more to the point he surrendered just 14 receptions all season, per PFF, which gave him a 90.5 overall grade to rank 3rd among FBS-level corners. He also had a career-high 4 INTs in 2024 for Virginia Tech.
(Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy is also a top prospect at the position despite missing the 2025 season with a torn ACL. He had 4 INTs for the Vols in 2024.)
But many feel Downs, a two-time first-team All-American and the 2025 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, is the best safety prospect to come along since the Ravens took Kyle Hamilton No. 14 overall in 2022.
Downs had 257 tackles, 16 TFLs, 6 INTs, 12 PDs and 3 FFs over three college seasons between Alabama and Ohio State, but the numbers don’t tell the full story as his Buckeyes defenses led the entire FBS the last two seasons (meaning opposing offenses played a lot fewer snaps than other teams might see, and he was surrounded by other elite talent).
Downs looks to be among the biggest “sure thing” in this draft. He is also versatile enough to slide into that nickel spot initially if that gives the Bengals their best 11 on defense. Adding him to Cincinnati’s defense in any capacity immediately elevates the unit.
It’s a close call if it comes down to a decision between Downs and Delane for Cincinnati, but we’d lean Downs because of the high probability he makes an immediate and pronounced impact on the Bengals’ collective defense.
If he’s off the board, well then Cincinnati’s decision is again an easy one with Delane.
However it shakes out, the Bengals really can’t go wrong at No. 10.
