A month ago, the 10th overall pick felt like it was prime positioning for the Cincinnati Bengals to get a bona fide defensive stud. Now, they still could, but the board is going to have to fall a certain way. As of now, it feels like only one quarterback is penciled in to go in the top 10. Sure, a quarterback like Ty Simpson or another surprise could rocket up the boards, but we can’t bank on that. As a result, the Bengals are hoping for the top nine picks to fall in a certain way.
What if it doesn’t? What if Caleb Downs, David Bailey, Arvell Reese, and Rueben Bain Jr. are all gone? Could the Bengals pick the consensus top interior defensive lineman at 10? It would be a surprise, as the team has shown it doesn’t really prioritize the position. However, what if the board falls in such a way that trading back is the best move?
How about trading back three times in the first?
Let’s have a little fun.
Bengals Mock Draft: Playing With Trades
Round 1, Pick 16: Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
Trade! Bengals receive pick 13 and 61 from the Los Angeles Rams for pick 10 and 187;
Trade! Bengals receive pick 15 and a 2027 second-round pick from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for pick 13;
Trade! Bengals receive pick 16 and a 2027 second-round pick from the New York Jets for pick 15;
Downs, Bain, Reese, and Bailey are gone. The Bengals aren’t sold on Keldric Faulk, so why not try to accumulate some draft capital? In this one, the Bengals managed to trade back three times, all the way back to 16, net a 2026 second and two 2027 second-round picks. With one of those picks being from the Jets, that could be a very valuable asset. As of now, according to NFLMockDraftDatabase, the consensus pick for the Bengals at 10 is Peter Woods, so to get him at 16 is a win.
A second-team All-American, Woods was as productive as he could be as a defensive tackle. He’s athletic for his size (6’3″, 310 pounds) and has elite burst up the middle. He’s not going to get swallowed up by double teams and can actually reach the outside to make the play.
As of now, the Bengals don’t have a certified dude on the interior. Kris Jenkins isn’t there. BJ Hill is getting older. If the team can get DJ Reader (assuming he is a cap casualty), the defensive tackle room would immediately become a strength.
Round 2, Pick 47: Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami (FL)
Trade! Bengals receive pick 46 and a 2027 third-round pick from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for pick 41;
Trade! Bengals receive pick 47 and 113 from the Indianapolis Colts for pick 46;
Trey Hendrickson is not going to be a Bengal in 2026, breaking news. Unless there is a massive change of heart on his end, or the Bengals place a massive franchise tag on him, he’s likely going to test the market. Myles Murphy came on in 2025, but he’s not Hendrickson. Shemar Stewart is still 99.9% potential and 0.1% production. You can’t have too many pass rushers, so let’s add Akheem Mesidor after trading back twice to net a 2027 third-round pick and 2026 fourth-round pick.
Akheem Mesidor’s age is going to be a talking point for the next few months but man he can get after the passer. pic.twitter.com/XjHtBPlm4g
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) January 20, 2026
There will be risk because Mesidor just turned 26 (yeah, yikes). For reference, he is older than 38 players on the 2025 Bengals roster; he’s seven months older than Demetrius Knight.
Of course, he is good at football. Sure, he was in college for six years, but he was productive in his freshman, sophomore, and junior seasons before battling injuries in 2023. In his career, he racked up 52.5 tackles for loss and 35.5 sacks. He reached at least eight tackles for loss in four seasons, so he wasn’t a one-hit wonder.
If the Bengals are going to draft a 26-year-old, he needs to be a day-one, immediate-impact player. Mesidor could be that guy.
Round 2, Pick 61: Ja’Kobi Lane, WR, USC
Time for controversy! Let’s draft a receiver!
The Bengals have the best one-two punch in the NFL, argue with a wall. But, behind them, who can Joe Burrow trust? He gives Andrei Iosivas plenty of opportunities, and Mitch Tinsley is a guy the fans love, but when Chase and/or Higgins are out, it’s tough sledding. Higgins missed two games, and the leading receiver not named Chase amassed 35 yards and 37 yards…both were Chase Brown, a running back. Chase missed one game due to suspension, and Iosivas led the way with 67 yards on four catches.
Lane is a monster in the red zone. He adds another Higgins-like freak who can go up and make 50/50 balls closer to 90/10. He finds the soft spots in the zone and can make catches through traffic.
He’s not a YAC monster, nor is he a burner. However, with his size, he could line up outside and let Chase feast in the slot. The Bengals need a reliable WR3 if not for the fact that those two are so expensive, so it will be near impossible to find a free agent to come in.
Round 3, Pick 72: Davison Igbinosun, CB, Ohio State
The good: he’s ridiculously fast and very sticky in coverage. The bad: he was the single-most penalized player in all of college football in 2024.
Davison Igbinosun has what looks like first-round talent, but he made a name for himself at Ohio State as a far-too-aggressive corner. He got significantly better in 2025, but he did not face nearly as many top-end receivers.
Ohio State CB Davison Igbinosun (6-2, 195) “holds too much.” Rather teach to tone down than be a physical dog
🅾️50 starts, elite 4.3 closing speed
🅾️Engulfing wingspan & punch for Press
🅾️Patient handling play in front of him
🅾️Strong tackler; too much for blocking WRPlay SAF?… https://t.co/YKaMBYqB3a pic.twitter.com/lMsrdu5i09
— Clint Goss (@NFLDraftDome) January 14, 2026
Regardless, it’s going to be hard to find a receiver that can fly past him.
The Bengals may be set at corner. Dax Hill and D.J. Turner are up for extensions, and both have earned them. What if the Bengals continue to Bungle these contract negotiations and one or both walk? Not trying to put that out there, but with this front office, anything is possible. You can’t have too many corners. Igbinosun could cut his teeth and learn behind Hill and Turner, while coming in in the slot and being a tight end neutralizer. Then, if Hill or Turner walks after 2026, he is your CB2. As of now, only Josh Newton is under contract in 2027.
Or, as Clint Goss put it in the above tweet, could the Bengals just move him to safety?
Round 4, Pick 110: Eli Raridon, TE, Notre Dame
The Bengals love Drew Sample, but he does turn 30 in April. Mike Gesicki will be back, but he’s a big wide receiver. The Bengals may want to plan for the post-Sample era. Eli Raridon could be such a replacement.
At 6’7″ and 251, he’s an in-line blocking tight end, just like Sample. He’s not an elite pass-catcher, as he amassed 482 yards last year, but did not score. Of course, he averaged 15.1 yards per catch.
Even then, he can be a matchup nightmare if he goes out for a pass. All in all, the Bengals love their blocking tight end, and Raridon could be the answer for the future.
Round 4, Pick 113: Austin Barber, OT, Florida
Do you want Cody Ford off your favorite team? Draft a swing tackle who may have a future in the starting lineup. At 6’6″ and 314 pounds, Austin Barber has the size to be a solid NFL tackle. He has starting experience at both right and left tackle, playing in the SEC, which the Bengals tend to favor. He has impressive explosion and has a refined enough technique that Scott Peters can mold him into the future.
Orlando Brown Jr. has one year left on his deal. Amarius Mims has battled injuries, but, to his credit, has done a great job of staying on the field. The Bengals may have to plan for the future at left tackle. If they don’t think they will be bad enough to get a franchise left tackle in 2027 (or don’t draft one/sign one in free agency in 2026), getting a guy who can be the first tackle off the bench as a swing depth tackle is ideal.
Round 6, Pick 197: Red Murdock, LB, Buffalo
#FFIDP While he might not be my LB1 of the 2026 draft, Red Murdock is turning into my favorite off-ball LB.
I see a bit of Nick Bolton in him and routinely made plays that jumped out on his tape. pic.twitter.com/jW3R8beqDR
— Mike Woellert (@Mike_Woellert) January 9, 2026
The Bengals burned two picks on linebackers in 2025, so it would be a surprise if the team uses a premium pick on the position, no matter how much it’s needed. For reference, the Bengals had four of the 12 players with the most missed tackles. Knight (sixth) and Barrett Carter (12th) were trusted as the starters. Even if the team isn’t looking to replace either in the draft, the depth needs help.
Red Murdock could be worth a flier. Over the last two seasons, Murdock totaled 298 tackles, 30.5 tackles for loss, and seven sacks. Most impressively, he owns the record for the most forced fumbles in a single career at the FBS level with 17 (breaking Khalil Mack‘s record, another Buffalo alumn).
Why not take a shot on a tackle machine with a sixth-round pick?
Round 7, Pick 221: Noah Whittington, RB, Oregon
Now we are just getting into dart throws. Noah Whittington was an impressively productive player across a number of crowded running back rooms. He is an older prospect, as we will continue to see thanks to NIL in the college football ranks, but he has a favorable profile for the NFL. Bleacher Report compared him to Bucky Irving, so if the Bengals get that as the RB2 to Brown, that’s a win.
He is a willing pass blocker, but he will need to work on his technique. Of course, the Bengals need a kick returner, and Whittington averaged 25.6 yards per return over 14 returns at Oregon.
Round 7, Pick 226: Anez Cooper, G, Miami (FL)
At 6’5, 347 pounds, Anez Cooper could be a monster of a human to give depth on the interior offensive line. NFL Draft expert John Vogel praises Cooper for his ability to get to the second level as a run blocker, is a brute, loves to finish his blocks, and is an excellent athlete.
In the seventh round, the Bengals are just trying to find depth with the hope they strike a diamond in the rough. Cooper needs a little refinement, but you can’t have too much offensive line depth because, as we saw in 2021, injuries can pile up fast.