I got Love after Bain.

On 4/7/2026 at 12:40 AM, BlackJesus said:

Latest mock I saw ...

⬆️ Yes, please

But I'm still waiting for that pony I wanted for Christmas when I was nine years old, too.

I voted assuming Styles and Bain will be gone at 10

and unavailable unless we trade up or Hell freezes over

whichever comes first.

If it came down to a choice between Bain and Downs...

dunno what I would do.

Wait and see.

This draft is deep at both DE and safety. LB too. So we should be able to get nice additions for all 3 levels of the defense on day 1 and 2.

Still, it would be nice to have some more needs filled by people who've played in the NFL ahead of the draft. Clowney and Wagner are still available.

Dane Brugler from The Athletic has released his list of the top 100 players in the draft. Here are the first 14 prospects to cover all of the ones that have been mocked to the Bengals at pick 10:

1. 1

   Arvell ReeseEDGE 1Ohio State

   A versatile defender who has the physical traits to become a dominant pass rusher.

   

2. 2

   Jeremiyah LoveRB 1Notre Dame

   One of the draft’s top athletes: explosive, with a remarkable blend of balance and burst.

   

3. 3

   Fernando MendozaQB 1Indiana

   The clear QB1: intuition, throwing accuracy and confidence are superpowers.

   

4. 4

   Sonny StylesLB 1Ohio State

   Freaky athlete on track to be an impact linebacker.

   

5. 5

   Caleb DownsS 1Ohio State

   An elite tackler who did not allow a touchdown for two years; a surefire NFL starter.

   

6. 6

   Mansoor DelaneCB 1LSU

   An alpha competitor who projects as a starter despite his average size.

   

7. 7

   David BaileyEDGE 2Texas Tech

   Likely to be a versatile NFL starter: quick-twitch, disruptive, powerful and explosive.

   

8. 8

   Spencer FanoOT 1Utah

   When Utah needed a yard, it ran behind No. 55; he projects as an immediate starter.

   

9. 9

   Rueben Bain Jr.EDGE 3Miami

   Not a prototypical edge, but his power and play style will still disrupt NFL backfields.

   

10. 10

    Carnell TateWR 1Ohio State

    A Day 1 NFL starter and potential Pro Bowler.

    

11. 11

    Francis MauigoaOT 2Miami

    A durable blocker whose best NFL role may be as a guard rather than right tackle.

    

12. 12

    Olaivavega IoaneG 1Penn State

    A thick, nasty mauler on track to be a long-term NFL starter.

    

13. 13

    Makai LemonWR 2USC

    Hints of Amon-Ra St. Brown. Not wildly athletic, but a likely starter at slot or Z.

    

14. 14

    Jermod McCoyCB 2Tennessee

    Missed 2025 with a torn ACL, but looked like an NFL starter pre-injury.

    

I'm fully ERECT

Of the two corners.. McCoy looked ready for camp at TN's pro day but still leaning Delane. Jermod doesn't tackle well enough, too much shoulder-checking and jumping on people's backs. That's not going to fly against NFL-size receivers, let alone the RB/TE or slots he's likely to face early on.. I think he's going to see a lot of flags with the way he plays, reminds me of Dre K a little too much. Delane is a wrap-up tackler and covers at least as well. The fire's there but he plays more under control.

Either one's a good pick but I expect McCoy will need more coaching to reach his potential. Curious to see who goes first - coming off an injury, maybe a little immature, into himself - kinda sounds like catnip for the Bengals.. They do love their "potential". Needing immediate help in the front 7 but the top DL/LB are gone? He sounds like a Bengals kind of pick, if we're being honest. Has the advantage in the "measurables" too..

* & Mansoor's a Tiger, pretty good luck with those lately. I'd be happier with McCoy in the 12-15 range.

🐈‍⬛🐈😿😺😽😾🙀🐱😹😼😸😹🦁🐅🐯🐻🫣

FFS... Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water...

https://bengalswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/2026/04/11/bengals-mock-draft-website-weird-trade-keldric-faulk/89561888007/

Bengals mock draft from team’s website gets weird

Chris Roling

Bengals Wire

The Cincinnati Bengals go all sorts of ways in mock drafts, which is fair more so this year than most others. 

Sitting at No. 10, it would be easy to see the Bengals taking the best player on their board when it comes to defenders. But at the same time, they also figure to at least keep an open mind about possible trades, given the major gains to be made by a move down. 

What would be surprising, though, is if the Bengals traded down, but also got super risky with the pick they end up making. 

The Bengals manage to do just that during a new mock draft from Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, where they strike a trade down to No. 16 with the New York Jets. The Bengals cough up a fourth-rounder in the exchange, but add the No. 44 overall pick while moving down the six spots. 

Then they take Keldric Faulk. 

Hobson writes: 

“Yet Stewart flashed enough through his injury-laden rookie year to make the Bengals believe they've got a remarkably gifted big man who can consistently get to the quarterback. And, in Faulk, you'd have a guy who is legit NFL size (6-6, 280 pounds), has high grades as a physical AFC Northish run-stopper, and can play up and down the line. That's what he did for Auburn last year, and some argue moving him off the edge more is why he didn't match his seven sophomore sacks of 2024.”

The concern here is Faulk wasn’t all that productive in college. It’s the same red flag that popped up about Shemar Stewart last year. Then, he had the contract standoff and multiple injury issues and never really got going.

So, a 50-50 mock draft. Getting the 44th pick to go with their 41st after a small trade back would be a nice win for a team with lots of needs to fill. Taking the same roll of the dice on a red flag as last year…maybe not so much. 

A little surprising to see from the Bengals’ official website, but it does nothing if not drive the conversation in interesting directions, right?

Go's "The Beast" Summary: Overall, Faulk has more “almost” plays than impact ones on his tape, but you bet on a developing, 20-year-old player with his exciting traits (he’s similar in several ways to Mykel Williams as a prospect). The character and upside are promising, but how early a team drafts him is dependent on its appetite for risk.

An absolute carved in stone Dookie pick... Shemar Steward 2.0.

However, the two second round picks sound intriguing.

LB Jacob Rodriguez and a top O lineman?

Top center in round 3?

Maybe this is the year Dookie keeps digging through the mountain of horse shit and finds his pony.

Styles

Love

Styles

LB

OT - I want an immediate impact player at 10 and an OT won't be that, that's a future pick. Are there any TEs remotely worth 10?

Faulk would really piss me off

5 minutes ago, Jason said:

Faulk would really piss me off

Same. Probably my puke pick for 10

6 hours ago, T-Dub said:

Of the two corners.. McCoy looked ready for camp at TN's pro day but still leaning Delane. Jermod doesn't tackle well enough, too much shoulder-checking and jumping on people's backs. That's not going to fly against NFL-size receivers, let alone the RB/TE or slots he's likely to face early on.. I think he's going to see a lot of flags with the way he plays, reminds me of Dre K a little too much. Delane is a wrap-up tackler and covers at least as well. The fire's there but he plays more under control.

Either one's a good pick but I expect McCoy will need more coaching to reach his potential. Curious to see who goes first - coming off an injury, maybe a little immature, into himself - kinda sounds like catnip for the Bengals.. They do love their "potential". Needing immediate help in the front 7 but the top DL/LB are gone? He sounds like a Bengals kind of pick, if we're being honest. Has the advantage in the "measurables" too..

* & Mansoor's a Tiger, pretty good luck with those lately. I'd be happier with McCoy in the 12-15 range.

🐈‍⬛🐈😿😺😽😾🙀🐱😹😼😸😹🦁🐅🐯🐻🫣

McCoy really pops on some plays. Pretty insane athleticism.

But I like Delane more. He’s got some sandpaper to his game and I like the fact that he is a willing tackler. Had 11 PBUs last year.

It’s interesting, doesn’t seem like there’s a lot of consensus on who’s better (from the draft weenies/talking heads on social media) but according to Daniel Jeremiah, based on his convos with NFL connections, Delane is the preferred choice at CB.

I'm big on Delane and McCoy but they're both outside corners..

Like to draft either depending on what the Bengals plans are for Hill..

Aveion Terrell is the best slot corner in the draft....

If their top picks are off the board

would they draft him at 10?

Duke: "Hold my beer!" 🍺

2 hours ago, BlackJesus said:

Duke: "Hold my beer!" 🍺

Duke's not making picks, at least not in the first round. I'd bet a John Ross jersey that "The Family" aka Mike is signing off on them. Probably into the 3rd round at least, if Burton is any indication.

Which, yes, he has every right to do with his team. It's just that he's totally incompetent.

13 hours ago, Jason said:

Faulk would really piss me off

Yeah I wouldn't be thrilled with Love but at least there's value there (for a team that can run block, anyway). I only took him in the contest as a sort of consolation prize, though it seems unlikely. Just don't see them making the wholesale changes to the offense to get the most out of him. Plus that pesky defense-is-straight-dookie-butt problem it fails to address, but I don't expect rookies to fix the defense anyway.

Faulk is more of a WTF are they doing pick but would anyone be that surprised?

7 hours ago, T-Dub said:

Yeah I wouldn't be thrilled with Love but at least there's value there (for a team that can run block, anyway). I only took him in the contest as a sort of consolation prize, though it seems unlikely. Just don't see them making the wholesale changes to the offense to get the most out of him. Plus that pesky defense-is-straight-dookie-butt problem it fails to address, but I don't expect rookies to fix the defense anyway.

Faulk is more of a WTF are they doing pick but would anyone be that surprised?

I would not be shocked at all. He fits the traits thing and even if someone like Downs and/or Bain were available, they probably feel like they are good at S and have enough firepower at DE with Murphy, Stewart, and Mafe. But pass rush is king, and he's 20, so …

Also, I think we need to wait to hear who Lap says they’re gonna go with, ‘cuz he totally crushed that Will Campbell pick for the Bengals last year. This year, I’m thinking he’ll go with Fernando Mendoza. Nailed it!

15 hours ago, BlackJesus said:

Duke: "Hold my beer!" 🍺

I have full 100% confidence in Dookie fucking up the 10th pick in the draft.

7 hours ago, High School Harry said:

I have full 100% confidence in Dookie fucking up the 10th pick in the draft.

I wouldn't trust this organization to take my trash can to the curb. They could fuck up a 2-man parade.

1 hour ago, T-Dub said:

I wouldn't trust this organization to take my trash can to the curb. They could fuck up a 2-man parade.

There is always high risk that Tobin “makes a mistake at the decision point” even though they have all information.

5 hours ago, I_C_Deadpeople said:

There is always high risk that Tobin “makes a mistake at the decision point” even though they have all information.

Saying shit like that with a straight face is Tobin's job, not making draft picks.

Paul Dehner in The Athletic:

Big board

Here’s my projected order of the Bengals’ top nine players, with the best remaining ending up in stripes.

1. Arvell Reese, Ohio State
2. David Bailey, Texas Tech
3. Sonny Styles, Ohio State
4. Mansoor Delane, LSU
5. Rueben Bain Jr., Miami
6. Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
7. Caleb Downs, Ohio State
8. Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
9. Akheem Mesidor, Miami

Prediction

McCoy.

11 minutes ago, BlackJesus said:

Big draft and luckily our elite scouting staff is up for the challenge.

49 minutes ago, I_C_Deadpeople said:

Big draft and luckily our elite scouting staff is up for the challenge.

ohgodohfucktheymeanmedonttheyohshit