Who should the Bengals draft? When are they picking? NFL Draft primer
A deep dive on where things stand with the Bengals as the NFL Draft draws closer.
The Cincinnati Bengals might not have the No. 10 pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, but they did get defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and still own the No. 41 pick in the draft on Friday.
Bengals Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin will finalize the draft board. The Bengals will rank players from top to bottom and use the board to guide their picks during the draft. Tobin and his staff will meet with head coach Zac Taylor and his staff, and together they’ll map out a plan.
Once the draft rolls around, the Bengals will be prepared for multiple scenarios. The most important part of the pre-draft period is player evaluation and how teams set their boards. How do NFL draft boards work?
From there, the board does the work for the team. Reaching for needs is where NFL teams have gotten in trouble in the draft. It’s not a smart strategy to take a pick who ranks below others because of a need a certain position.