A Spooky Bengals Mock Draft – Fix. The. Defense.

Sitting at 3-5, the Cincinnati Bengals are firmly right between contending in a weak AFC North and limping their way through another lost season. There is a slim chance that Joe Burrow returns in over a month, so keeping the ship afloat is key. Joe Flacco is doing his best, but the Bengals’ defense is a massive weakness. There is no singular issue with the defense. There is talent, or, rather, draft capital, invested. Al Golden was a good defensive coordinator at Notre Dame, but his unit is statistically the worst in the NFL this year. Could we have another Teryl Austin situation where he doesn’t last a full season?

Regardless, with the disappointing start, the Bengals’ mock draft machines have begun firing up. With a loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday, it might be time to unload a few contracts and stock up on draft picks.

For this to work, of course, the Bengals would need to get better at drafting.

Regardless, Cincinnati currently has seven picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. Let’s assume no trades for the time being. Also, while it’s likely the Bengals pick a quarterback, we will hold off mocking them until we get a clearer picture. NIL makes these things much more difficult.

Mock draft courtesy of MockDraftDatabase.

A Spooky Pre-Bye Bengals Mock Draft – Fix. The. Defense.

Round 1, Pick 9: Caleb Downs, SAF, Ohio State

Were you watching the Baltimore Ravens dismantle the Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football and thinking, “Man, I’d love a Kyle Hamilton on the Bengals’ defense”? Well, look no further!

Caleb Downs has been a transcendent star ever since he stepped on the field as a true freshman for Alabama in 2023. After Nick Saban’s retirement, he transferred to Ohio State and continued his All-American play. Last year, he was a unanimous first-team All-American and was a finalist for a handful of individual awards. It’ll likely be the same this year.

Downs could be the best overall prospect in this year’s class. However, as a safety, his positional value should allow him to slip to the Bengals. Downs has incredible athleticism, knows the game better than anyone on that Buckeye defense, and is as sure of a tackler as you’ll find. Considering how poorly this year’s defense has tackled, it’ll be a welcome change.

One safety won’t fix the Bengals’ defense, but we’ve seen what happens when there’s an elite one back there. The Bengals have floundered at replacing Jessie Bates III. By picking Downs, they’d solidify the position instantly.

Full Caleb Downs Early Scouting Report

Round 2, Pick 43: Colton Hood, Corner, Tennessee

Cam Taylor-Britt has struggled. Who knows what’s about to happen with Dax Hill? The cornerback room, from top to bottom, needs work. The Bengals love projects, so why not add another?

Colton Hood is on his third team in three seasons. Some may see that as a red flag; others see it as the way things are. He started off at Auburn, then transferred to Colorado for 2024. With the Buffs, Hood split time with Travis Hunter and hauled in a pair of interceptions. Then, he left for Tennessee to play next to the SEC’s top corner. Thus far, he’s recorded 32 tackles, four tackles for loss, seven pass breakups, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery for a touchdown, and a pick-six.

The concern would be the fact that he’s only been a starter this year. He’s also weak against the run.

However, he has the tools to develop into a good corner.

Round 3, Pick 74: Xavier Chaplin, OT, Auburn

Now, back to the offensive line. This year’s offensive line hasn’t been as bad as years past, but the Bengals need to raise the floor of the room.

Xavier Chaplin could do just that. He’s a monster at six-foot-seven and has the size you’d look for in an NFL tackle. He needs some work on technique, so you’d hope that Scott Peters, in year two as the offensive line coach, could work with him.

As the starting tackle for Auburn, Chaplin has struggled with false starts. Evidently, his head coach threw him to the wolves and let it slip that he may have a hearing issue. Time will tell how serious the hearing issue is and if it’s going to be an issue at the NFL level. Either way, in terms of traits and size, he’s in the Bengals’ wheelhouse. They may be looking for an Orlando Brown Jr. successor down the line. If things work out, that could be Chaplin.

Round 4, Pick 109: Dontay Corleone, DT, Cincinnati