NFL Draft Buzz: Bengals Showing Interest in Intriguing CB Prospect

The Cincinnati Bengals have a top 10 pick, alongside a decent haul of draft picks, in the upcoming NFL draft. They need to secure some top talent on defense if they want to take their roster to the Super Bowl over the next few years.

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The Bengals should be targeting defense at pick No. 10, but they also need to look to land a few impact defensive players down the board.

Bengals Could Use Another Cornerback on Defense

Bengals Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin speaks at the 2026 NFL Combine in Indianapolis. | Phil Didion/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Bengals have a pair of solid cornerbacks on their roster, but they need to target another one at some point in the NFL draft. They've been closely connected to players like Mansoor Delane and Jermoc McCoy in the first round.

But the best-case scenario sees the Bengals land a different defensive player like Caleb Downs, Rueben Bain Jr., or Sonny Styles at pick No. 10, which allows them to target a cornerback in Round 2.

The Bengals recently met with San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson, who could be a very intriguing selection in the second round.

Bengals Met With San Diego State CB Chris Johnson

Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; San Diego State defensive back Chris Johnson (DB17) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

"I’ve been all over those Zoom meetings, man. I probably met with, I don't know the exact number, but I have to be deep in the 20s [25+ teams] by now," Johnson said, via Justin Melo of NFL Draft OnSi. "I’ve probably met with almost every team so far. I’ve had more than one Zoom meeting with some of them. I just met with the Philadelphia Eagles for the second time.

"I met with the Houston Texans, New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, and the Green Bay Packers too. Those are just a couple that I did recently. I've been doing them for the past month. I met with the Los Angeles Rams in person at pro day. They sent somebody up here. We were at San Diego State’s facility watching tape together. It was similar to a Zoom meeting, but it was in person."

Johnson is projected to go somewhere in the late first round to the second round. More than likely, he's going to be on the board for the Bengals at pick No. 41.

Johnson is excellent in zone coverage and possesses the ability to develop as a man-coverage cornerback, too. He's not the biggest cornerback (six-feet, 190 pounds), but his speed and change of direction make up for his lack of physicality.

He's one of the options the Bengals will likely look into at pick No. 41.

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