The 2026 NFL Draftwill take place in April, andthe Bengals will have the 10th pick in the first round. We've rounded up the latest projections from media outlets across the league to give you a look at who could be joining the Bengals this year.
EDGE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami
Ben Arthur - FOX Sports
"If Bain is available here, it's difficult to imagine the Bengals passing."
Lance Zierlein - NFL.com
"The Bengals end up landing the strongest, most physical defender at the position in this draft."
CB Mansoor Delane, LSU
Josh Edwards - CBS Sports
"Mansoor Delane is a high IQ football player who ran fast at the LSU Pro Day. His ceiling may not be as high as Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy, but the floor is high."
Tom Fornelli - CBS Sports
"The Bengals grab the best corner in the class."
Luke Easterling - Athlon Sports
"His 2025 tape was absolutely dominant for the Bayou Bengals, as he absolutely erased SEC receivers on a weekly basis. I wouldn't be shocked if he ends up being a top-5 pick, which would make him an absolute bargain for Cincy if they can get him here."
Justin Melo - Sports Illustrated
"Mansoor Delane established himself as a top-10 pick with a great performance at LSU's pro day."
Matt Miller - ESPN
"Delane would be an upgrade on the outside, where he can win at the line of scrimmage with great quickness and instincts."
S Caleb Downs, Ohio State
Jordan Plocher - Pro Football Focus
"Downs is a smart player who started for three seasons, and his lowest season-long PFF overall grade was an excellent 85.6 mark as a freshman."
Mike Band - NFL.com
"The Ohio State safety is a versatile, high-IQ tone-setter who can help stabilize the secondary on a unit that badly needs more playmaking."
Ryan Moran - Pro Football Network
"He earned unanimous All-American honors in each of the past two seasons. With his elite instincts, Downs has the versatility to align at a handful of positions on the defense for the Bengals."
Charles Davis - NFL.com
"With Downs patrolling the secondary, Cincinnati won't give up nearly as many big plays though the air."
Bruce Feldman - The Athletic
"My gut tells me that it'd be really hard for Cincinnati to pass on a star player from Ohio State who has excelled in a lot of big games and has a winning pedigree to go with off-the-charts football intelligence... Some scouts we've spoken to say the 6-0, 206-pound Downs reminds them of a bigger version of Budda Baker. That's high praise. Baker, a former second-rounder, has been to eight Pro Bowls in his nine-year career."
S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz - USA Today
"While Thieneman might seem like a stretch here to many, deterring deep shots with a rangy and instinctive coverage ace would go a long way toward curing several of this unit's most pressing ills."
Ian Cummings - Pro Football Network
"Alongside safetyBryan Cook, Thieneman can exist in his element as a rangy, ball-hawking single-high safety, but he's just as dangerous in two-high and in the box."
LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
Matt Miller - ESPN
"A former safety, Styles has the range at 6-foot-5 (4.3 speed) to be an eraser against tight ends and in-breaking wide receivers. He also provides pass-rush upside, with seven sacks the past two seasons."
