Cincinnati Bengals Reportedly Visiting With Prospects on Both Sides of the Trenches Ahead of 2026 NFL Draft

Interest in the big fellas.

Cincinnati Bearcats defensive lineman Jalen Hunt (90) reacts after sacking Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (1) in the first quarter of the NCAA football game at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on Nov. 15, 2025. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Bengals are visiting with players throughout these next two weeks, leading up to the NFL Draft, and two more got revealed on Tuesday.

Both are in the trenches, including a local talent in Cincinnati defensive tackle Jalen Hunt. Ryan Fowler reported the contact.

"Cincinnati DL Jay Hunt has visits scheduled with the Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals this week. Explosive presence in the middle for the Bearcats had four sacks & 6.5 TFLs last fall. Former Michigan State transfer," Fowler posted on X.

Sports Illustrated's Justin Melo sat down with Florida offensive tackle Austin Barber, and he noted a Zoom meeting with the Bengals.

"I’ve had a ton of Zoom meetings," Barber said to Melo. "Some of the recent ones include the Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, Carolina Panthers, and New Orleans Saints, to name a few.

"I had formal and informal interviews at the NFL Combine. I met with a bunch of teams at the Senior Bowl. I’ve pretty much met with every team in the NFL. I’m about to take some pre-draft '30' visits with the Cincinnati Bengals, Tennessee Titans, and the Arizona Cardinals."

Big Board Values

Mar 1, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Florida offensive lineman Austin Barber (OL02) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

A look at either side of the trenches, starting with Hunt. Cincinnati likely won't draft Hunt, who is not ranked on the Mock Draft Database's consensus big board, but Barber is a different story.

Hunt is an undrafted free agent candidate, while Barber is ranked 125th overall and 14th among offensive tackles. He could land with Cincinnati in the fourth round or fall to them in the sixth.

Both need to hit the leadership anf football-love markers Duke Tobin is looking for from his players.

“The number one trait, you have to love football," The Bengals executive said in February. "You have to be playing football because you enjoy the game. If you're playing football just because of what it brings you, it's normally not gonna be a long-term thing for you. You have to be playing football because you love doing it. And so we really wanna know, does the guy love football? If it didn't bring the things that NFL football brings, which are great, but if it didn't bring those things, would he still be playing?"

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