who dey'S MOCK DRAFT
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who dey'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON APR 19, 2026

dexy

  • who dey DRAFTING FOR THE
    Bengals
Draft Selections
Jacob Rodriguez Head Shot
PICK: 41 RND: 2 (CIN)
Jacob Rodriguez
LB Texas Tech
D'Angelo Ponds Head Shot
PICK: 72 RND: 3 (CIN)
D'Angelo Ponds
CB Indiana
Zakee Wheatley Head Shot
PICK: 110 RND: 4 (CIN)
Zakee Wheatley
S Penn State
Patrick Payton Head Shot
PICK: 189 RND: 6 (CIN)
Patrick Payton
DE-EDGE LSU
Kobe Baynes Head Shot
PICK: 199 RND: 6 (CIN)
Kobe Baynes
OG Kansas
Barion Brown Head Shot
PICK: 221 RND: 7 (CIN)
Barion Brown
WR LSU
Diego Pavia Head Shot
PICK: 226 RND: 7 (CIN)
Diego Pavia
QB Vanderbilt
Draft Picks Traded
Makai Lemon Head Shot
PICK: 10 RND: 1 (NYG)
Makai Lemon
WR USC
Players Gained
Head Shot
Dexter Lawrence II
DT
Draft Grade — Bengals
Overall B
ValueC+ NeedB TradesA+ FutureB-
The Bengals won the weekend at the trade table. Grade: B.

It is the swing that defines the weekend: Patrick Payton in the 189th overall pick, a good 69 spots before the room expected him. A sturdy weekend that grades out a B.

The phones were where this weekend was really won. Getting Ponds where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class. The tight end spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.

Adding Dexter Lawrence II by trade rounds out the weekend beyond the rookies.

Not a headline-grabber, but a perfectly good weekend's work.

Pick Analysis
Pick41 Rnd2 Jacob Rodriguez
A reach for Jacob Rodriguez in pick No. 41; a little patience would have been rewarded. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick72 Rnd3 D'Angelo Ponds
D'Angelo Ponds in slot 72 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick110 Rnd4 Zakee Wheatley
Zakee Wheatley at the 110th overall pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Pick189 Rnd6 Patrick Payton
Patrick Payton in pick 189 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A minor itch, scratched.
Pick199 Rnd6 Kobe Baynes
They paid sticker price for Kobe Baynes in No. 199, and that is fine. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick221 Rnd7 Barion Brown
Barion Brown at Round 7, Pick 5 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick226 Rnd7 Diego Pavia
Diego Pavia at Round 7, Pick 10 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. The roster fit checks out.