This complete seven-round Cincinnati Bengals 2026 mock draft includes trades, as they hope to improve on their abysmal defense. Thanks to Pro Football Network for the draft simulation tool and player stats. Thanks to Fox Sports for NFL team stats and rankings.
Cincinnati lost its best defender, DE Trey Hendrickson, to free agency, likely in part due to a deteriorated relationship with the team. They finished 24th in pressure rate last season, and are doomed to finish worse this year.
EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. is a consensus top-ten pick, and the field thins out after that. A four-star recruit out of high school, Bain totalled 7.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles in his true freshman year. He bounced back from an injury in 2024, for 9.5 sacks in 15 games for the Miami Hurricanes in 2025.
Technically sound, Bain is one of the best in the draft in traits such as balance, leverage, and hand usage. He pairs that with great power and versatility in both the run and pass game. At 6’3″, 275 pounds, this dense, powerful motor would be a day-one game-changer in this Bengals 2026 mock draft.
The New York Jets came knocking, hoping to move up three spots in this Bengals 2026 mock draft. The final deal had Cincinnati send pick 41 and a 2027 third-rounder for pick 44 and a 2027 second-round selection. The Jets drafted cornerback Treydan Stukes, out of Arizona, with the pick.
The Bengals are on the record as interested in linebackers and have hosted numerous pre-draft visits. They may have young talent at the position in Demetrius Knight and Barrett Carter, but they didn’t turn out to be game changers. Sharp Football Analysis reports they ranked outside the top 75 qualified linebackers in run stuff rate, and neither ranked inside the top 40 in tackle rate on run plays among that same group.
Sports Illustrated reports on Cincinnati defensive coordinator Al Golden’s comments from the NFL Combine. “We’ve gotta get better. We’ve gotta get deeper. Obviously, having somebody with a combo presence,” Golden said during the combine. “I would prefer not to ask Demetrius to play on the line of scrimmage as much as we did.”
A five-star recruit out of high school, LB Anthony Hill Jr. lived up to the billing in his collegiate career. Hill started as Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2023, and followed that with being a first-team All-SEC defender and All-American in 2024. Playing 40 games over his three years at Texas, he tallied 17 sacks and 250 tackles.
Hill is a beast of an athlete. If he can work on play recognition and reaction, he’s got the potential to be a complete package. His raw abilities shone through with his elite 40-yard dash and broad jump, both in the top 10%.
Cincinnati has interviewed cornerbacks, looking to add depth at the position. They’ve got a couple of reliable starters, but could use something to elevate the floor, if not the ceiling, from this Bengals 2026 mock draft.
CB Davison Igbinosun was a four-star recruit out of high school and was a starter for the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2023. Once known as a physical threat prone to penalties, Igbinosun impressed scouts in 2025 with leaps in the mental game. Regardless, it’s better to try to tame the beast than force a cat to bark. Pro Football Network ranks him at CB9 entering the draft.
There is still room to grow in his technique, but otherwise, Igbinosun’s traits are desirable. His size score of 8.5 is a whopping 2.69 above the average at this position this year, and still scores above par in ball skills, support, and long speed.
Allowing 147.1 rushing yards per game, Cincinnati had the worst run defense in the NFL last season. If it doesn’t strike gold with some of their offseason acquisitions, the Bengals are doomed for more of the same.
DT Rene Konga is certainly more than a lottery ticket. He took a longer path, truly working hard to make it. After three years at Rutgers, Konga blossomed with the Louisville Cardinals in 2024 and 2025. Playing 21 games over those two years, he totaled 49 tackles and four sacks.
Konga really shone during the on-field drills, ranking in at least the 95th percentile in 40-yard dash, vertical jump, broad jump, and three-cone drill. Pro Football Network also reports his Relative Athletic Score of 9.78 seventh at the position.
Sports Illustrated went as far as to say, “The Bengals need to add a safety to their defense, and they should have plenty of choices in the NFL Draft.” Even this deep into the draft, there is still value at the position in this Bengals 2026 mock draft.
Safety DeShon Singleton played 31 games over his four-year career at Nebraska. Starting as a rotational piece, Singleton battled all the way up to team captain honors in 2025. Making his name in the 2024 and 2025 seasons, he accrued 141 tackles and three interceptions.
At 6’3″, 206 pounds, his build stands him out from the remaining crop in this Bengals 2026 mock draft. If Singleton can improve his ball skills and technique, he’s got the potential for a lengthy NFL career.
With picks 119, 221, and 226 left in this Bengals 2026 mock draft, it was time to bundle those up, aiming for a higher ceiling. The Arizona Cardinals had just one pick left, so they accepted all three for a 2027 fifth-round selection.
This Bengals 2026 mock draft addresses some of the black-hole-sized gaps in their defense. It would also slightly elevate percentages for next year’s event. Stay tuned to Stadium Rant for the latest.
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