Bengals Move Down In All Trades 2026 NFL Mock Draft

ESPN's Bill Barnwell released his annual all-trades mock draft on Monday, and he had the Bengals making a trade-back deal with the Rams to move down from No. 10 to No. 13 in the first round.

The Bengals got the 13th pick and the 93rd pick in 2026, while the Rams moved to No. 10 and got the 189th pick back as well.

Cincinnati also made a deal with Jets later in the draft across these isolated scenarios. They got the 16th and 44th picks for the 10th and 110th picks.

A Big Trade

Oregon defensive back Dillon Thieneman, right, brings down Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton as the Oregon Ducks take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"The Bengals don't typically make major moves during the draft weekend, as they usually either stay put with their existing selections or make small moves around the board," Barnwell wrote. "Bengals fans would understandably love to add a premium pass rusher to the roster, but Cincinnati signed Boye Mafe in free agency, and the team hopes to get more out of 2025 first-rounder Shemar Stewart, who managed only one sack in eight games as a rookie. Rams GM Les Snead and coach Sean McVay? Well, they're the opposites of the Bengals in quite a few ways, including how aggressive they'll be moving either up or down. Though the Rams still have this first-round pick from Atlanta, they no longer have their own first-rounder, having sent it to the Chiefs for Trent McDuffie. They're also down fourth- and fifth-round picks, which might push the Rams to lean more toward trading down than up.

"The Bengals should be looking for help at safety, off-ball linebacker, and potentially on the interior of their offensive line. If Caleb Downs and Sonny Styles are off the board, moving down would still allow Cincinnati to address those spots, with someone such as Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman or Georgia linebacker CJ Allen at No. 13."

According to the Mock Draft Database, Thieneman is ranked 18th on the consensus big board and second behind Downs among safeties, while Allen is the 33rd-ranked player overall and third-best linebacker.

Both could be solid options for the Bengals while getting another third-round pick in the mix to potentially add an immediate starter to the 2026 roster. It's a similar thought process to the Jets deal which pushes them further down the board, but gives them another second-round pick instead of the additional third-rounder.

"The Bengals need as much cost-controlled talent as possible given the cost of the big three in their passing game, so adding another premium pick early on Day 2 would be the right idea for Cincinnati," Barnwell wrote about the Jets deal.

Check out the full all-trades mock draft from Barnwell here.

For more on the Bengals, subscribe to our YouTube Channel and be sure to check us out on your favorite audio platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and Amazon. Make sure you bookmark BengalsTalk.com for the latest Bengals news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more! We're a one-stop shop for all things Cincinnati Bengals! Join the 63,000+ Bengals fans who subscribe to us on YouTube.