One Cincinnati Bengals Defensive Target for Each Round of the NFL Draft

The Cincinnati Bengals are certain to focus on defense in the NFL Draft later this month, but the order in which they target specific position groups on that side of the ball is less clear.

Will they take a safety – say, Caleb Downs – at No. 10 and wait until later to get more edge rushers and linebacker depth?

Or will one of the two elite cornerbacks in the draft – Mansoor Delane or Jerrod McCoy – be the target at No. 10, pushing safety further down the list?

Earlier we looked at possible linebacker targets in each round of the draft.

Then we did the same for safeties.

Today, let’s shift the focus to defensive tackle.

The signing of Jonathan Allen to a two-year, $25 million contract seemingly makes defensive tackle less of a need as pairing him with B.J. Hill could help reduce the snaps each player will be required to log in 2026.

And there still is some hope 2024 second-round pick Kris Jenkins can make a Year 3 leap the way Myles Murphy did last year.

So let’s take a look at one DT candidate for the Bengals in each round of the draft:

Bengals' Pipeline to Clemson Could Pay Off Again in First Round

Round 1 Option: Peter Woods, Clemson

Most analysts have Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald as the best DT prospect in the draft, but he’s more of a nose tackle who excels against the run. If they’re doing to go interior defensive line at No. 10, it’s going to be for a pass rusher.

And Clemson is turning into the new Georgia pipeline for the Bengals.

There have been 23 Clemson Tigers drafted since 2020, and no one has drafted more of them than the Bengals with three (Tee Higgins, Myles Murphy and Barrett Carter).

Woods had a great junior year, but his production fell off in 2025. Figuring out why could be the key to the NFL team that selects him getting his best.

Here is what Dane Brugler wrote about Woods in The Beast:

“Draft projections for Woods will depend on a team’s willingness to grade to his flashes. He moves with big-man twitch and has the foot quickness to elude blocks in tight quarters. However, for a player with his explosive traits, he doesn’t have many quick wins on his tape and needs to learn how to diversify his rush approach. But he consistently saw four hands from blockers each snap and produced enough splash plays to believe he will be a more stable player in the future. Overall, Woods flashes the ability to win with quickness, strength and hand usage — and the next step in his development is for him to do so more consistently. He offers scheme diversity, although he projects best as a three-/4i-technique DT.”

Round 2 Option: Caleb Banks, Florida

The Bengals have a history of selecting guys coming into the league with injury issues, which is both a reason for and against why they could do it again with Banks.

The fact that they do it often suggests it’s on the table again.

The fact that many of those (see Cedric Ogbuehi, John Ross, Billy Price) didn’t work out could be reason for them to finally say “enough.”

Banks played just three games in 2025 due to a foot injury, but the fact that he fought back to play in the final two games despite the Gators being embroiled in a lost season is one of those draft trends that define the Bengals.

But Banks fractured his foot before the Combine but didn’t realize it until midway through his drills. He had surgery last month and will be out of action until at least June.

Pick 41 could be a bit too rich for Banks, but another common thread with the Bengals is the second-round trade back, which could be in play here to acquire an extra third round pick and see if they can still get Banks after dropping a handful – or more – spots.

Brugler: “Banks is a towering athlete with the fluid athleticism and unique physical traits to be impactful against the pass and the run. He is long and strong enough to claim early wins when he stays disciplined in his initial attack. But his taller stature can zap his power and take him out of plays, as he allows blockers to out-leverage him and stay attached. He leaves too much production on the field, although his tackling should improve with better conditioning. Overall, Banks has a rare combination of size, raw power and big-man twitch, all of which lead to big-time flashes and glimpses of his ceiling. However, the absence of a healthy senior season complicates his projection, and his draft grade will depend on each team’s appetite for risk.”

The 1st round dominates draft talk, but the #Bengals have been one of the league’s best at finding talent in the 2nd round.

Ranking their 10 best 2nd-round picks of all time was tough, and it required a 10-player honorable mention list to go with it:https://t.co/vEdslqzIS8
— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) April 8, 2026

Round 3 Option: Tyler Onyedim, Texas A&M

It would make a third consecutive year the Bengals have tapped into the Texas A&M defensive line, but Onyedim never played with Shemar Stewart or McKinnley Jackson.

Onyedim played his first four seasons at Iowa State, recording three total sacks. He had 3.5 sacks last season for the Aggies.

He would be another rotational piece to add to Allen and Hill, eventually serving as a succession plan after the veterans’ contracts expire following the 2027 season.

Brugler: Onyedim is quick out of his stance and has adequate athleticism to shoot gaps and slice through blocks. His hands and feet stay connected as he works the blocker’s edge, but he reverts to a predictable long-arm move as his go-to plan B and needs to evolve beyond that. Against the run, he plays with awareness and extension to do his job, but he struggles reacting to double teams and down blocks. Overall, Onyedim might not have a true distinguishing trait, but he also doesn’t have a fatal flaw that will be exposed by NFL competition. He projects best as a one-gap penetrator and dependable rotational piece.”

Halton DT Gracen Halton a Popular Mid-Round Pick for Bengals

Round 4 Option: Gracen Halton, Oklahoma

Initially I had Halton as a Bengals target in the third round in my first mock draft.

More recently, publications such as The Beast are projecting him as a fourth-round pick, and he’s still a solid fit for a Bengals rotation.

Halton recorded 8.5 sacks and 46 pressures over his final two seasons at Oklahoma.

Brugler: Halton is a win-early and clean-up-late player. He has outstanding get-off quickness for early disruption when he times the snap. (Alabama center Parker Brailsford called him the toughest player he faced in 2025, because of his initial quickness.) When he doesn’t do that, he switches to an edge-to-edge attacking mindset that leads to clean-up stops or sacks. He plays strong at the point in the run game, although he is inconsistent in shedding blocks. Overall, Halton is sawed off and can be overwhelmed at times, but he moves with big-man twitch and his initial quickness and closing speed can be weaponized. A part-time role that keeps his battery charged will be his best NFL fit.

Round 6 Option: Demonte Capehart, Clemson

Did we mention the Bengals-Clemson connection?

Capehart enrolled at Clemson way back in 2020. He’ll turn 24 right before training camp starts.

He has the traits to become a solid player, so he could be a low-risk, high-reward type of pick.

Brugler: Capehart is a massive, powerful human who moves like a much smaller person. He fires off the snap with a linear burst (which his combine numbers backed up) and uses full extension to press blockers, lock out and find the football. He is an inconsistent shed player and strains to muddy up the run game. As a pass rusher, he has yet to prove himself as anything more than a pocket pusher. Overall, Capehart has impressive traits and flashes disruptive ability, but he hasn’t been able to take that next step in his development. Though he doesn’t earn a starter projection, he can make an impact as a rotational plugger, regardless of scheme.”

Round 7 Option: Gary Smith III, UCLA

If the Bengals get a 3-tech earlier in the draft, you could see them doubling down with a run stopper in the later rounds.

Yes, there are three new head coaches and offensive coordinators in the AFC North, but the geography and weather aren’t changing. Stopping the run always will be important in this division.

Brugler: Smith is a wide-framed nose with the body thickness and low pads to become a boulder in the trenches. But he doesn’t just take up room — he will use his aggressive hands and raw strength to deconstruct single blocks. Although his change-of-direction movements are stiff, his weight loss showed in the quickness he displayed pursuing ball carriers up and down the line (career-high 40 tackles in 2025). His pass-rush attempts stall out quickly, and he is much better at controlling the point of attack than generating movement. Overall, Smith doesn’t offer much beyond being a space-eater in the run game. That said, a girthy nose with heavy hands to neutralize at contact doesn’t go out of style for most schemes.

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