NFL Executives Split On Who Bengals Will Pick First Across 2026 NFL Draft

Cincinnati holds the 10th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Mar 1, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Utah offensive lineman Spencer Fano (OL22) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

CINCINNATI — The Bengals have a big decision to make with the 10th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and executives around the league feel pretty confident where they'll land. 

The Athletic's Mike Sando canvassed the league's executives for how they think the top 10 picks will play out in April. Alas, they didn't have much consensus for Cincinnati, sticking them with the usual suspects that could be available at No. 10

Two picked Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano for Cincinnati, and the other two picked Miami (FL) edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. and Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods.

Oct 18, 2025; Provo, Utah, USA; Utah Utes offensive lineman Spencer Fano (55) waits for the play against the BYU Cougars during the first half at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Sando laid out the thinking below:

"Execs see Cincy as a team torn between protecting Joe Burrow and fortifying a struggling defense. 'They have to go O-line — please, for all of us,' one exec said. With Fano gone in this scenario, the choice might come down to Monroe Freeling, the offensive tackle from Georgia, or whichever front-seven defender is highest on the Bengals' board. 'Woods is a really good player,' one of the execs said. 'I would say the Bengals are taking someone like him or (Ohio State's) Sonny Styles, the inside 'backer. I think there is some upside there.'"

Cincinnati has some big decisions to make and a good chunk of picks that will take options away from them.

They met with all three of these prospects at last week's NFL Combine, so there is clear interest in them from director of player personnel Duke Tobin and the rest of the team.

"I think there’s depth," Tobin said about this class's depth. "I think there are a lot of D-linemen who are attractive guys for different roles, as you go through the whole season or the whole draft, really. I think we have almost 400 ranked players on our board right now. Guys who have enough talent to be considered draftable, which is probably a little bit heavier than normal. I always look at the first five rounds. There are enough players to satisfy our picks in all of those rounds with extras, which is good. We’re going to get one of them that way. Some years, we’ve gotta keep forcing guys up the board. This year, we’re probably going to force some guys down the board a little bit. But I do think there’s depth."

Caleb Downs has been the most popular mock draft fit for the Bengals recently. The Mock Draft Database has logged 26 official mocks with the Ohio State star landing in Cincinnati over the past week, 14 more times than LSU's Mansoor Delane went to Cincinnati.

Check out the full executive look from Sando here.

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