The Cincinnati Bengals only made a few 2026 NFL free agency moves, but the players they brought in on defense—Boye Mafe, Bryan Cook, and Jonathan Allen—have the potential to be impactful. This team will now do the majority of its team building this offseason through the draft. Which players will be on their way to the Queen City? We asked the PFF 2026 NFL Mock Draft simulator what the Bengals may do in April, and here’s what it came back with.
Round 1, Pick 10: S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
The Bengals are a team projected to land Ohio State safety Caleb Downs in a lot of 2026 NFL mock drafts, including ClutchPoints’ own. The thought process is that a rangy, do-it-all safety like Downs could really pull the whole unit together with the young talent and new additions to the front seven.
In this particular PFF 2026 NFL Mock Draft simulator run, Downs is already off the board at 10, so the Bengals do the next-best thing here with Dillon Thieneman.
Thieneman impressed at the NFL combine, running a 4.35-second 40-yard dash and posting a 41-inch vertical. Pairing those measurables with excellent production (306 tackles, eight interceptions in three seasons), and his ability to line up in a lot of different spots on a defense, has shot Thieneman up draft boards.
Whether Thieneman is worth a top-10 pick may be debatable, but the fact that a playmaking safety would make the Bengals' D better is not.
Round 2, Pick 41: LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
Texas Tech All-American linebacker Jacob Rodriguez will be a steal if someone gets him in Round 2. The LB was the glue that held the incredible Red Raiders defense together this season, and despite average size (6-foot-1, 231 pounds) and athleticism (4.57 40), this dude can play football.
In 2024 and 2025, he racked up 255 tackles, 21.5 tackles for a loss, 6.0 sacks, five interceptions, and 10 forced fumbles. This is a player an NFL team can stick in the middle of its defense, slap a green dot on his helmet, and be set at MLB for the next decade.
Like safety, off-ball linebacker isn’t a position teams put a ton of value on in the NFL draft, but when you find a good one, that player is worth their weight in gold, which Rodriguez will be.
Round 3, Pick 72: DT Gracen Halton, Oklahoma
At 6-foot-3, 293 pounds, Gracen Halton is an undersized 3-technique defensive tackle, but if you throw him in a DT rotation as an interior pass rush specialist, good things will happen. The Bengals already have a lot of beef up front with Allen, B.J. Hill and Kris Jenkins, so a smaller, slipperier DT like Halton will fit right in.
Round 4, Pick 110: TE Michael Trigg, Baylor
Finally, Joe Burrow’s side of the ball gets into the action in this PFF 2026 NFL Mock Draft run with Baylor tight end Michael Trigg coming on board. Trigg is still raw, but the 6-foot-4, 240-pound TE has all the skills of a big wideout. With a little polish and Burrow throwing him the ball, Trigg could become a big-time pass-catcher in the pros.
Round 6, Pick 189: LB Owen Heinecke, Oklahoma
Owen Heinecke is undersized at 6-foot-1, 227 pounds, but he has a relentlessness and toughness that allow him to get the job done. He should be a good special teams player in the NFL, but this Bengals’ mock draft pick may be a moot point as Heinecke is suing the NCAA for one more year of eligibility right now.
Round 6, Pick 199: OT Nolan Rucci, Penn State
Nolan Rucci is a long-term project at right tackle, but he has the upside worth investing in. He is 6-foot-8, 305 pounds and both his father and grandfather played in the NFL. With size and bloodlines like that, Rucci is absolutely worth a dart throw in the sixth round.
Round 7, Pick 221: LB Harold Perkins, LSU
The Bengals definitely have a type in this PFF 2026 NFL Mock Draft simulator run. Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Harold Perkins is an undersized off-ball linebacker who should quickly develop into a solid special teams contributor at worst. Perkins flashed NFL potential early in his LSU career before a knee injury took him out in 2024.
Round 7, Pick 226: DT Nick Barrett, South Carolina
Nick Barret is a nice complement to Halton as another rotational DT piece. The 6-foot-3, 312-pound former Gamecock is a gap-plugging run-stuffer. While the Bengals already have several of those on the roster, getting younger at that style and position is not a bad idea.
