Bengals aggressively put another team captain in the hot seat to help Joe Burrow in latest 2-round NFL mock draft
Cincinnati lands an offensive lineman in A to Z Sports’ latest NFL mock draft.
Losing records in November typically means better positioning in the upcoming NFL Draft, and the Cincinnati Bengals are slated to pick eighth overall in the first round with their 3-6 record.
Cincinnati won’t get the chance to improve upon that record this week since it’s on a much-needed bye, so now’s a good time to see what kind of player the team could select in the 2026 draft.
A to Z Sports’ Rob Gregson and Adam Holt put together a 2-round mock draft, giving the Bengals a sizable piece to fit in the trenches.
Bengals select Miami OT Francis Mauigoa in latest mock draft
Cincinnati could draft one of the top offensive linemen prospects with the eighth pick, and that’s exactly what this mock gives them with Francis Mauigoa.
A three-year starter at right tackle for the Miami Hurricanes, Mauigoa has improved every year in pass protection and still has room to grow with one year of eligibility remaining. He would be one of the youngest players drafted if he were to declare.
His fit with the Bengals appears to be obvious. Their offensive line lacks a long-term starter at right guard, but has starters under contract through 2026 at every other position. Mauigoa could slide inside at handle RG for years to come and provide the protection quarterback Joe Burrow needs. Gregson, on the other hand, envisions Mauigoa can stick to tackle and start immediately.
“There is no reason why the Bengals’ first pick should be anything other than an offensive lineman. Their ability to protect Joe Burrow has been abysmal over the years, and every year that goes by with him being injured is a missed opportunity. Cincy takes a plug-and-play tackle here.” — Gregson
Cincinnati drafting a lineman with a top-10 pick would likely mean said lineman will play tackle, as the club has never valued the guard or center spot that highly in comparison. In this case, Mauigoa would replace one of the incumbent starters, and the result could be paired with a big subtraction.
Bengals drafting offensive line early could be bad news for Orlando Brown Jr.
If a tackle is the pick, he would most likely be brought in to push Brown at left tackle as opposed to Amarius Mims at RT. Mims is in the midst of his second season after being selected 18th overall and is keeping his head above water. There’s little value in replacing him after just two years when he’s continuing to grow, even if Mauigoa has only played RT in college.
Brown, however, will enter the final year of his contract in 2026 and has been up and down this season. He will be 30 years old next season, and the use of a top-10 pick on his position could mean the end of his run in Cincinnati, or he’ll have a replacement in waiting right behind him during his final year under contract.
The Bengals took a similar route this year at linebacker when they drafted Barrett Carter to back up Logan Wilson. Carter eventually took Wilson’s job, and the team captain was traded to the Dallas Cowboys.
Brown, a team captain himself, wouldn’t be any safer than Wilson was this year if Cincinnati lands on a guy like Mauigoa. Whatever’s necessary to make Burrow’s life easier is a path worth following for the Bengals.
This story was originally published in A to Z Sports Cincinnati Bengals, as Bengals aggressively put another team captain in the hot seat to help Joe Burrow in latest 2-round NFL mock draft.
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