Post-Negotiating Period Cincinnati Bengals Mock Draft: Holes Remain

The Bengals need pass-rush…but they also need everything else when it comes to the defensive line. In this Bengals mock, it’s Zion Young who is there at 41. Missing out on the top two or three EDGEs (depending on how you view Arvell Reese), getting a guy like Young in round two is a win.

His pass-rush isn’t quite to the same level as Trey Hendrickson, but he is a better version of Shemar Stewart. Young is fantastic in run defense, adding to the impact that Myles Murphy has on the other side, but his pass rush is about as relentless as any. Like Stewart, Young was not the most productive in terms of getting sacks, but he did wrangle 12.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks last year.

The Bengals need a disruptor on the defensive line, and Young would do just that. He had a 25.6% pass rush win rate in true pass sets and has all of the measurables the Bengals look for.

Full Zion Young Scouting Report

Round 3, Pick 72: Gracen Halton, DT, Oklahoma

Might as well continue on the defensive side, this time adding to the defensive interior. Assuming the Bengals do not go out and trade for someone like Osa Odighizuwa, they will likely use a pick on defensive tackle. Gracen Halton could be that force on the interior to help out the pass rush.

The Bengals need a pass-rush from their 3-tech. That’s Halton. He could be considered a bit undersized, but his effort and productivity are there. Over the last two seasons, Halton amassed 63 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, two pass breakups, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and one scoop-and-score. Like Young, his motor cannot be stopped. He forced 59 pressures over the last two seasons as well.

Oh, and he’s a solid run defender as well.

Round 4, Pick 110: Skyler Bell, WR, UConn

Picking offensive players for the Bengals seems like greed, but the offense still has areas in which it must improve. Remember, this team was blanked by the Baltimore Ravens and lost to the Cleveland Browns in the final month of the year. Despite having a solid offensive line, Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins, they might as well try to upgrade WR3.

Enter Skyler Bell, a versatile receiver with 4.40 speed who is a YAC monster. Even though he was at UConn, hauling in 101 passes for 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns in a Biletnikoff Award finalist and All-American season is impressive. He was the only true offensive threat in that offense, and he still dominated. The next closest receiver had 40 catches for 455 yards and three touchdowns, for what it’s worth.

Full Skyler Bell Scouting Report

Round 6, Pick 189: Tristan Leigh, OT, Clemson

Now, in the sixth round, it’s all about getting the highest upside players you can. Tristan Leigh may not be here at pick 189, but if he is, why not?

Offensive tackle may not be an issue in 2026, but it could be in 2027. Leigh is still on the upswing of his football career, and he looks like a guy who could develop into a real starting option with the right coaching.

Leigh is the prototypical size for an offensive tackle at 6’6″ and 310 pounds. He is impressively athletic and a monster in the run game. His pass blocking does need a little refinement, but learning behind Orlando Brown Jr. and Amarius Mims, who both looked good last year under Scott Peters, could benefit him greatly. At worst, the Bengals have a solid swing tackle.

Round 6, Pick 199: Pat Coogan, C, Indiana

Just like with tackle, center is an underrated need heading into 2026. While Ted Karras is still under contract, nobody knows what the next move is. Is Matt Lee the future? The seventh-round pick from the 2024 NFL Draft has been “the future” for a while now, and if Karras’s one-year extension shows anything, it’s that Lee may not be ready.

If 2026 is the final season in stripes for Karras, Pat Coogan could come in and battle with Lee to be the center of the future. Coogan can provide depth at all three interior positions and is experienced enough to be a spot-starter when needed.

Round 7, Pick 221: Kendal Daniels, LB, Oklahoma

When you’re picking in the seventh, you’re looking for literally anything you can put on the field. For the Bengals and Kendal Daniels, you can put him at linebacker or as a third safety. Think, he’s a poor man’s Sonny Styles, who was a safety-to-linebacker convert.

He’s quick, physical, and he’s seen plenty of football in his time. He comes to the NFL with 293 career tackles with 31.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 16 pass breakups, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and five interceptions (all of which came in 2022 and 2023 as a safety).

If anything, the Bengals could add a special teams ace.

Round 7, Pick 226: Jamarion Miller, RB, Alabama

Finally, many Bengals mock drafts have the team picking a running back at some point. Some bold mocks have the 10th overall pick spent on running back, but it’s more likely it will be on day three.

Jamarion Miller was not quite up to the standard of an Alabama running back to which we have grown accustomed. In four years with the Tide, he managed a total of 1,596 yards and 13 touchdowns. Seven of those touchdowns came in 2024.

He showed glimpses of explosivity and an ability to cut upfield for chunk plays. Plus, he’s a pass-blocking specialist.