After striking a blockbuster deal with the New York Giants to acquire Dexter Lawrence, how could the Cincinnati Bengals send their offseason to another level in the 2026 NFL Draft?
The Bengals no longer have the 10th overall pick in their 2026 war chest, but they still have seven selections overall and picks in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th rounds. Those players might not all be instant impact players, but the Bengals are making preparations to jump right back into Super Bowl contention in the AFC this season, and they can still play big roles.
We're going to take a shot at predicting the Bengals' top three picks in the 2026 NFL Draft after the big Dexter Lawrence trade, and look at how much better this roster can get in the coming days.
Cincinnati Bengals keep loading up on defense in 2026 NFL mock draft predictions
Round 2 | 42nd overall: Jake Golday, LB, Cincinnati
After picking up a space-eating defensive tackle who racks up pressures like they're coins in a Super Mario game, the Bengals go after someone with their top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft who can directly benefit from that kind of presence.
Getting an ultra-athletic option at the off-ball linebacker position would be huge for a Bengals defense that had horrendous linebacker play all of last season. We've seen this team move on from guys who were once thought to be potential core players, and the projected starters for the 2026 season are a couple of picks from the class of 2025.
Although the Bengals will rightfully be expecting a jump from Demetrius Knight as a second-round pick in last year's draft, staying local and getting a big athlete like Jake Golday could take this Bengals defense to the next level.
Golday is big, fast, and can get after the quarterback. Given how important it is to have playmakers who can stick with tight ends, rush the quarterback, and spy the quarterback, this would be a great pickup in round two for the Bengals.
Round 3 | 72nd overall: Treydan Stukes, DB, Arizona
I'm not sure Stukes is going to last this long for the Bengals, but getting him in the mix with the other pieces they have in the secondary could be fantastic.
Stukes has played all over the defensive backfield throughout the course of his college career, taking snaps at outside corner, safety, and recently playing his most full-time role in the slot.
The Bengals could use him there right away, and get a player whose ball production is arguably his best trait, along with explosive athleticism. He had four interceptions last year at Arizona. The only reason he might fall to this point in the draft is the fact that he's already 24 going on 25. He was at Arizona for six years, working his way up as a walk-on and medical redshirt in 2024.
Round 4 | 110th overall: Austin Barber, OT, Florida
The Bengals obviously need to improve their defense, but they've taken a lot of drastic measures to do that already.
They not only swung the trade to pick up Dexter Lawrence, but they went out in free agency and got Boye Mafe from the Seahawks to upgrade off the edge after losing Trey Hendrickson. They also made a really underrated move to bring in Jonathan Allen after he was cut by the Vikings.
All of those defensive upgrades are awesome, but the offensive line also needs attention. Investing in protection for Joe Burrow is never a bad idea, and Austin Barber could be one of the more intriguing developmental tackle prospects on Day 3 of this draft. He had 39 starts at Florida and split time at both tackle positions, so he can offer immediate value as a swing tackle at the next level.
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