Perfect Picks 2026: Cincinnati Bengals

By Paul Hirons

To say Bengals fans came away disappointed and frustrated after last season’s performances and overall record was an understatement.

While Joe Burrow had to sit out a large chunk of the season, the offense – thanks to late-career heroics from Joe Flacco, Burrow’s ahead-of-schedule return, a much-improved offensive line and great seasons from Chase, Higgins and Chase Brown – was not the problem: for the second year in a row, it was the defense that continued to post historically bad numbers.

At one point last year, the unit was on course to be the worst defense of ALL TIME, so to not address that side of the ball with the 10th pick in this draft seems nothing short of lunacy. Especially when you consider that the team’s (desperate) needs look like they might coalesce with best player available.

With all that being said, this Perfect Picks article explores what an ideal draft could look like if the board breaks the right way. Rather than predicting draft weekend outcomes, the focus is on fit, value, and long-term roster construction, identifying prospects who align with the team’s needs at each stage of the draft.

The selections below account for scheme, roster holes, and realistic draft ranges, moving from early-round building blocks to mid-round value and late-round upside.

Round 1 - Rueben Bain (EDGE, Miami)

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With the departure of Trey Hendrickson all but done and dusted, the Bengals must find players who can rush the passer. Myles Murphy showed real improvement towards the end of the season, but Shemar Stewart had a wretched rookie year, and the jury is still very much out on 2025’s first-rounder.

One of the many criticisms Bengals fans have with long-standing Director of Player Personnel, Duke Tobin, is that he favours traits over production when it comes to drafting trench players. Subsequently, players often take several years to develop fully (see Murphy) or not at all.

With the Burrow window still open, we need players who can slot in and make a difference from day one. Players who can tackle are especially welcome.

Depending on how things fall, there is a cluster of difference makers who both fit need and will likely be best player available at pick 10: Miami DE, Reuben Bain; Texas Tech DE, David Bailey; Auburn DE, Keldric Faulk; Ohio State LB, Arvell Reese; and Clemson DL, Peter Woods.

Woods makes Bengals fans salivate (not since Geno Atkins have we had someone who can generate serious pressure up the middle), but it’s a toss-up between Bain and Bailey at 10.

Bain is the pick – he’s the consensus number one on a lot of big boards and, despite his shorter arms, has the ability and nastiness to take games over.

His 2025 season? 9.5 sacks, a pick, a forced fumble, 83 total pressures, a 91.9 PFF pass-rush grade, ACC Defensive Player of the Year, unanimous All-American… the list goes on.

His versatility is also a big plus – his best position at NFL level could very well be to kick inside and cause havoc at 3T.

(Caleb Downs, Jermod McCoy and Mansoor Delane are also enticing prospects if there’s a run on defensive linemen.)

Mid Round Gem - Austin Barber (OT, Florida)

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With Orlando Brown Jr entering the last year of his contract, it’s time to look seriously for his successor. Brown is a monster at 6’ 8”, which fits with the Bengals’ recent acquisition profile for offensive tackles (over at RT, for instance, Amarius Mims is also a 6’ 8” whopper).

Austin Barber is another big boy at 6’ 7” but shows good lateral agility and athleticism, which allows him to mirror speed rushers. Add in NFL-calibre hand technique and extensive SEC experience, and Barber will be sought after on day two/early day three. He’ll have to work on his functional strength, but if he does fall to us here, chalk him up to be our swing tackle for 2026.

Late Round Sleeper - Skyler Gill-Howard (IDL, Texas Tech)

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Talking about Geno Atkins comps… Gill-Howard measures a squat 6’1” and has an explosive get-off, as well as showing signs of being a real disruptor in the A and B gaps – something the Bengals have been crying out for.

An ankle injury curtailed his development at the back end of his senior season last year, but up until then, he showed real promise (he notched 29 pressures in 2024).

His wrestling background and low centre of gravity help him to maintain gap integrity and shed blocks, but this was all against MAC-level competition. He’ll suddenly come up against bigger, faster, and stronger opponents in a hurry, but there’s more than enough raw talent here for D-Line coach Jerry Montgomery to work with.

Draft in full

10 (R1) – Rueben Bain (EDGE, Miami)

41 (R2) – Genesis Smith (S, Arizona)

72 (R3) – Chandler Rivers (CB, Duke)

110 (R4) – Austin Barber (OT, Florida)

187 (R6) – Deion Burks (WR, Oklahoma)

197 (R6) – Skyler Gill-Howard (IDL, Texas Tech)

226 (R7) – Connor Tollison (IOL, Missouri)

Paul Hirons runs Bengals UK, the Bengals fangroup in the UK. Now into its 11th year, Bengals UK puts on meet-ups during the season, trips to Cincinnati, produces weekly podcasts, and online tailgates, all in the name of growing the fanbase in the UK. He was the Bengals International Fan Of The Year in 2025.

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