stryker'S MOCK DRAFT
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stryker'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 21, 2026

bengals 2026

  • stryker DRAFTING FOR THE
    Bengals
Draft Selections
Arvell Reese Head Shot
PICK: 18 RND: 1 (CIN)
Arvell Reese
LB Ohio State
LT Overton Head Shot
PICK: 41 RND: 2 (CIN)
LT Overton
DE-EDGE Alabama
Dillon Thieneman Head Shot
PICK: 49 RND: 2 (CIN)
Dillon Thieneman
S Oregon
Jake Slaughter Head Shot
PICK: 72 RND: 3 (CIN)
Jake Slaughter
C Florida
Lee Hunter Head Shot
PICK: 83 RND: 3 (CIN)
Lee Hunter
DT Texas Tech
Zachariah Branch Head Shot
PICK: 110 RND: 4 (CIN)
Zachariah Branch
WR Georgia
Jermaine Mathews Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 157 RND: 5 (CIN)
Jermaine Mathews Jr.
CB Ohio State
Isaiah Jatta Head Shot
PICK: 187 RND: 6 (CIN)
Isaiah Jatta
OT BYU
Miller Moss Head Shot
PICK: 197 RND: 6 (CIN)
Miller Moss
QB Louisville
Riley Mahlman Head Shot
PICK: 226 RND: 7 (CIN)
Riley Mahlman
OT Wisconsin
Jalil Farooq Head Shot
PICK: 235 RND: 7 (CIN)
Jalil Farooq
WR Maryland
Draft Picks Received
Arvell Reese Head Shot
PICK: 18 RND: 1 (MIN)
Arvell Reese
LB Ohio State
Dillon Thieneman Head Shot
PICK: 49 RND: 2 (MIN)
Dillon Thieneman
S Oregon
Lee Hunter Head Shot
PICK: 83 RND: 3 (CAR)
Lee Hunter
DT Texas Tech
Jermaine Mathews Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 157 RND: 5 (CAR)
Jermaine Mathews Jr.
CB Ohio State
Jalil Farooq Head Shot
PICK: 235 RND: 7 (CAR)
Jalil Farooq
WR Maryland
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 4 (MIN)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 5 (MIN)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 7 (CAR)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Jermod McCoy Head Shot
PICK: 10 RND: 1 (MIN)
Jermod McCoy
CB Tennessee
Players Gained
Head Shot
Justin Skule
OT
Draft Grade — Bengals
Overall B+
ValueB NeedB TradesA+ FutureB-
Larceny in Round 3, Pick 8 lands the Bengals a B+, Slaughter and all.

The trade table was a mismatch, and the Bengals were on the right end of it, hauling in a fortune in surplus value. It does the job without flash, and the B+ reflects it.

On value alone, Slaughter makes the weekend a net positive. A whole weekend of picks and tight end is somehow still a want. They will need Farooq to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it.

All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but tight end.

Pick Analysis
Pick18 Rnd1 Arvell Reese
In slot 18 they get the heartbeat of the defense, outstanding value to boot. A clean fit for the roster.
Pick41 Rnd2 LT Overton
A market-rate edge rusher, with the board and the slot shaking hands on LT Overton. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Pick49 Rnd2 Dillon Thieneman
A tidy little value on Dillon Thieneman in pick 49, a step better than break-even. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Pick72 Rnd3 Jake Slaughter
Jake Slaughter in No. 72 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick83 Rnd3 Lee Hunter
Lee Hunter in the Round 3 slot is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick110 Rnd4 Zachariah Branch
They took Zachariah Branch at par in pick No. 110, which is nothing to complain about. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick157 Rnd5 Jermaine Mathews Jr.
A straight-up fair deal on Jermaine Mathews Jr. at No. 157, value and slot in agreement. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick187 Rnd6 Isaiah Jatta
No drama and no debate, Isaiah Jatta went about where he belonged in the Round 6 slot. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick197 Rnd6 Miller Moss
Miller Moss at the 197th pick is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick226 Rnd7 Riley Mahlman
Riley Mahlman in Round 7, Pick 10 is fair value, right on his grade. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick235 Rnd7 Jalil Farooq
They paid a round early for Jalil Farooq in pick No. 235, more than the board wanted. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.