Bengals make the best out of a scenario they don’t want to face in latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft
This would be a solid haul for the Cincinnati Bengals to start the 2026 NFL Draft.
What will the Cincinnati Bengals do if Rueben Bain Jr., Caleb Downs, Arvell Reese, and Sonny Styles all go off the board before they pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft? It’s arguably the biggest question that will surround the Bengals over the next month.
Any of those players would be the favorites to be picked if they are still on the board, but it’s more likely than not that all four will be drafted in the first nine picks. Cincinnati needs to start thinking now what the plan would be if the more likely outcome occurs.
A to Z Sports’ Ryan Roberts lays out a favorable path for the Bengals to go down with all of those prospects taken before them.
Bengals land LSU CB Mansoor Delane, Oklahoma EDGE R Mason Thomas in latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft
The benefit of the top linebacker, safety, and EDGEs all off the board is the top cornerback may still be available, and that’s whom Cincinnati selected in LSU’s Mansoor Delane.
A former Virginia Tech recruit and starter, Delane ended up at one of the best programs for developing defensive backs and played his way into becoming a likely top-16 pick in the draft. He met with the Bengals at the NFL Scouting Combine last month, and with Cincy needing to add to its cornerback room later in the offseason, he’s becoming a probable target for the club.
“With Styles, Reese, Downs, and Bain all off the board, the Bengals opt for a talented cover cornerback. Between his stops at LSU and Virginia Tech, Delane has shown a lot of versatility by playing a ton on the outside and in the slot.” — A to Z Sports’ Ryan Roberts
Should the Bengals go with a CB in the first round, addressing the pass rush has to be a priority on Day 2. Roberts mocked Oklahoma’s R Mason Thomas with Cincinnati’s second-round pick at No. 41 overall.
Thomas has the size of a 3-4 outside linebacker at 6-2, 241 pounds, and his pass rush win rate of 16.9% over the last two years exceeds the likes of Reese (15.8%), Clemson’s TJ Parker (15.2%), and Missouri’s Zion Young (14.5%). He’d be an instant boost to the Bengals’ front seven, and help fulfill director of player personnel Duke Tobin’s mission of creating a deeper rotation of pass rushers.
Check out Roberts’ full 2-round mock draft here.
NFL Draft
2026 NFL Draft Mailbag: Latest draft stock for R Mason Thomas, first round outlook for the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings
This week’s 2026 NFL Draft mailbag features some conversation around R Mason Thomas, and the first round outlook for the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings.
