Three things I think I know about the Cincinnati Bengals’ plans with three weeks remaining until the 2026 NFL Draft

The Cincinnati Bengals’ plans are becoming more and more clear as the 2026 NFL Draft gets closer. Here’s what I think they’re focusing on with three weeks to go.

John Sheeran — Cincinnati Bengals News Writer
Add as preferred source on Google
Cincinnati Bengals Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin addresses the media during a press conference, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati.
Cincinnati Bengals Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin addresses the media during a press conference, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati. © Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cincinnati Bengals have three weeks until the 2026 NFL Draft, when they need to find at least three players of significant impact for this coming season.

Draft season always feels significantly slower when the calendar flips from March to April, and it’s because everything there is to know has already been learned. The Bengals and every other team are preparing final prospect meetings, confirming information that’s already been documented, and mapping out likely scenarios to take when the draft officially opens April 23.

These next three weeks aren’t going to be filled with very many revelations. Reading between the lines, examining visits, and taking note of the current roster is all that’s required to gauge where Cincinnati is headed during the draft. Here are three things I believe to be true about the Bengals’ plans.

The A to Z Sports NFL mock draft simulator offers a deeply customizable and data-driven experience with never-before-seen features. Try the mock draft simulator today, before the 2026 NFL Draft arrives.

1. Cornerback will be addressed early

I would not agree that cornerback is the biggest need on the team, but it is certainly up there. Extending DJ Turner II and Dax Hill should be layups in my book. The Bengals usually prepare themselves for losing at least one player of their caliber when dealing with simultaneous negotiations.

Whenever CB becomes a long-term question, a high pick is used. Turner and Hill themselves were picked 60th and 31st overall, respectively.

This year’s class of corners is also very strong, with two potential top-10 picks, and plenty of quality players expected to land anywhere between picks 10-100. There is a good chance the highest-graded cornerback on the board is higher than the highest-graded edge defender or linebacker on the board when the Bengals are on the clock on Day 1 and Day 2.

I would predict at this moment the No. 10 pick will be a corner. If not, Cincy will not leave the second or third round without addressing the position.

  • Day 1 Targets: Jermod McCoy, Mansoor Delane
  • Day 2 Options: Chris Johnson, D’Angelo Ponds, Brandon Cisse, Keith Abney II, Chandler Rivers, Daylen Everette

2. No fear of another rookie linebacker

Relying on rookie linebackers is how the Bengals were so awful at the position last year. There was interest in signing a veteran last month, but the final plan involved adding Jonathan Allen to the defensive tackle room instead.

Counting on Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. is now their best course of action, and adding a first-year player alongside them is not something head coach Zac Taylor would shy away from.

“I don’t think so,” Taylor said this week at the Annual League Meeting. “I don’t think that’d be harmful at all. I think that those guys are wired the right way. That’s why we added them into the room. That’s why we threw them in the fire so early, because we knew it wasn’t going to break them. If a game went poorly or a series went poorly, that’s not how they’re wired.”

Cincinnati knows it needs more talent at the position. The ceiling can only realistically be raised in the draft, even if a veteran joins the mix afterwards.

  • Day 1 Targets: Sonny Styles
  • Day 2 Options: CJ Allen, Anthony Hill Jr., Jake Golday, Jacob Rodriguez, Josiah Trotter, Jaishawn Barham

3. Flexible in the trenches

I’ve found it tough to sort out what the Bengals are going to do along the defensive and offensive line. They need at least one additional pass rusher to help immediately, and they’d love a new swing offensive tackle.

It just feels like CB and LB are the positions they’ll take no matter what, whereas the trenches are a preferred option after Allen and Boye Mafe entered the equation.

The first round can change that if the top 21-year old defensive end falls to them. Should the board fall in a devastating way, a trade back for another d-lineman may be in play as well. Day 2 is typically when Cincinnati likes to take its d-line swings. If defense gets the first two picks, the third could very well be for the swing tackle.

  • Day 1 Targets: DE Rueben Bain Jr., DL Keldric Faulk, DT Peter Woods 
  • Day 2 Options: DE Zion Young, DE Dani Dennis-Sutton, DT Christen Miller, DT Zane Durant, OL Brian Parker II, OT Dametrious Crownover

Related Articles