The 2026 NFL Draftwill take place in April, andthe Bengals will have the 10th pick in the first round. We've rounded up the latest projections from media outlets across the league to give you a look at who could be joining the Bengals this year.

LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State

Nate Davis - USA Today Sports

"Arguably the star of this year's combine given the freakish traits (4.46 40-yard dash, 43-inch vertical leap) he put on display, the 6-foot-5, 244-pound converted safety is too good to pass up for a defense in transition"

S Caleb Downs, Ohio State

Daniel Jeremiah - NFL.com

"The Bengals can take the best defensive player available here. Downs has versatility, and his Big Ten pedigree will be well received by Cincinnati's decision-makers."

Gordon McGuinness - Pro Football Focus

"Arguably the best player in the draft, Downs is falling down the order in mocks due to positional value. If he manages to get to No. 10, the Bengals should sprint the card in for a player who earned an 85.0-plus PFF overall grade in three straight seasons."

Josh Edwards - CBS Sports

"They take the best player available as they continue to fill out their secondary."

Mike Renner - CBS Sports

"His ability to play in the slot or deep would give Al Golden more flexibility with his coverages."

Todd McShay - The McShay Report

"He's excellent at noticing formation tendencies, has a sixth sense for locating the ball, and attacks with good angles/leverage. His experience wearing multiple hats under three different coordinators in college (one at Alabama, two at Ohio State) will benefit him in a "multiple" league starved for defensive chess pieces."

EDGE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami

Joel Klatt - FOX Sports

"My favorite part about Bain's game isn't when he's able to get pressure in advantageous situations. Rather, it's his motor. He goes eight million mph on every single snap. I don't care about his arm length just watch him play."

CB Mansoor Delane, LSU

Mel Kiper Jr. - ESPN

"Delane can make plays on the ball (11 pass breakups, two interceptions last season) in either man or zone coverage."

Chad Reuter - NFL.com

"The Bengals grab Delane for his top-10-worthy coverage skills."

Field Yates - ESPN

"Delane has strong man-coverage technique and ball skills to go along with good size at 6 feet, 187 pounds. He finished up his college career with a season at LSU after three years at Virginia Tech. Delane's season in Baton Rouge solidified his first-round status, as opposing QBs completed only 27.7% of their passes when he was the targeted defender (the third-lowest rate in the FBS)."

Bucky Brooks - NFL.com

"The talented technician is a plug-and-play starter with the instincts, awareness and movement skills to take on the premier WR1s in the NFL."

CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee

Nate Tice - Yahoo Sports

"He did not play last season, but he's still looked at as a high-end cornerback prospect because of what he put on film before his injury in January 2025."

Pete Prisco - CBS Sports

"He missed last season with a torn ACL, but the word is he's made a nice recovery and he's the best cover player in this class when healthy."

Paul Dehner Jr. - The Athletic