Cincinnati Bengals Add Defensive Help In Latest 2026 Mock Draft

A defensive star.

Auburn Tigers defensive end Keldric Faulk (15) celebrates a stop as Auburn Tigers take on South Alabama Jaguars at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. Auburn Tigers lead South Alabama Jaguars 28-9 at halftime. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — The Bengals' fan public consciousness is about one loss away from being in full lookahead mode amidst a disastrous 2025 season. That means mock drafts, which just got a new addition from ESPN's Matt Miller.

He has the Bengals taking Auburn edge rusher Keldric Faulk with the eighth overall pick.

"Trey Hendrickson will become a free agent after the season, and his return to Cincinnati is hardly guaranteed, considering the acrimonious nature of his preseason holdout," Miller wrote. "Joseph Ossai and Cam Sample will also be free agents, leaving the Bengals with needs up front despite drafting Shemar Stewart in the first round this year and Myles Murphy in 2023. Neither has had much of an impact, so perhaps Faulk could break through. 

"At 6-foot-6, 285 pounds, Faulk is built in the mold of Hendrickson with the power to lock out offensive tackles and the quickness to get to the quarterback. He has two sacks and 24 pressures this season and can rush from the inside and outside."

Any help on defense could be great for the Bengals' historically bad unit.

Cincinnati needs help at basically every position on that side of the ball and may actually find draft success there in the top 10, like they did with Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase.

Faulk is the consensus 10th-best player on the Mock Draft Database and second-best edge rusher behind Miami's Reuben Bain.

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