Cincinnati Bengals Interested In Elite Linebacker, Visit Set Up

The Bengals have a clear need at linebacker, with a little less than a month to go before the 2026 NFL Draft. Ohio State star Sonny Styles could be the next addition in that room after multiple conversations with the Bengals.

He told WLWT's Jaron May that he's met with the Bengals a couple of times already this cycle. Styles is the consensus best or second-best linebacker in the draft, depending on where his Ohio State teammate Arvell Reese ends up playing in the league.

The Mock Draft Database's consensus big board has Styles ranked fifth overall.

"Yeah, I have," Styles said about talking to the Bengals when speaking with the media at Ohio State's 2026 Pro Day. "I've had a few conversations with the Bengals. I think they do a really good job. I love Coach Golden; he's awesome. So I'm excited, I think I'm going down to see them in a few weeks."

At this rate, it would be pretty surprising if Cincinnati didn't use one of its first four picks on the linebacker position after fielding arguably the worst duo in the NFL last season in the form of Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barret Carter.

The entire scouting staff, Duke Tobin, and more are hard at work trying to find the best options for their top-10 picks in those first four rounds.

"I think there’s depth," The Bengals director of player personnel said at the 2026 NFL Combine. "I think there are a lot of D-linemen who are attractive guys for different roles, as you go through the whole season or the whole draft, really. I think we have almost 400 ranked players on our board right now.

"Guys who have enough talent to be considered draftable, which is probably a little bit heavier than normal. I always look at the first five rounds. There are enough players to satisfy our picks in all of those rounds with extras, which is good. We’re going to get one of them that way. Sometimes, we’ve to keep forcing guys up the board. This year, we’re probably going to force some guys down the board a little bit. But I do think there’s depth."

Check out the full comments from Styles, Reese, and Caleb Downs below: