Terry Staggs'S MOCK DRAFT
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Terry Staggs'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 14, 2026

Terry Staggs

  • Terry Staggs DRAFTING FOR THE
    Bengals
Draft Selections
Caleb Downs Head Shot
PICK: 13 RND: 1 (CIN)
Caleb Downs
S Ohio State
Jake Slaughter Head Shot
PICK: 57 RND: 2 (CIN)
Jake Slaughter
C Florida
Will Lee III Head Shot
PICK: 61 RND: 2 (CIN)
Will Lee III
CB Texas A&M
Emmett Johnson Head Shot
PICK: 72 RND: 3 (CIN)
Emmett Johnson
RB Nebraska
Malachi Lawrence Head Shot
PICK: 110 RND: 4 (CIN)
Malachi Lawrence
DE-EDGE UCF
Sawyer Robertson Head Shot
PICK: 188 RND: 6 (CIN)
Sawyer Robertson
QB Baylor
Jordan Hall Head Shot
PICK: 198 RND: 6 (CIN)
Jordan Hall
DL Georgia
Da'Shawn Womack Head Shot
PICK: 226 RND: 7 (CIN)
Da'Shawn Womack
DE-EDGE Ole Miss
Riley Mahlman Head Shot
PICK: 241 RND: 7 (CIN)
Riley Mahlman
OT Wisconsin
Draft Picks Received
Caleb Downs Head Shot
PICK: 13 RND: 1 (LAR)
Caleb Downs
S Ohio State
Jake Slaughter Head Shot
PICK: 57 RND: 2 (CHI)
Jake Slaughter
C Florida
Will Lee III Head Shot
PICK: 61 RND: 2 (LAR)
Will Lee III
CB Texas A&M
Riley Mahlman Head Shot
PICK: 241 RND: 7 (CHI)
Riley Mahlman
OT Wisconsin
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 2 (CHI)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 3 (LAR)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Jermod McCoy Head Shot
PICK: 10 RND: 1 (LAR)
Jermod McCoy
CB Tennessee
Dani Dennis-Sutton Head Shot
PICK: 41 RND: 2 (CHI)
Dani Dennis-Sutton
DE-EDGE Penn State
Players Gained
Head Shot
Puka Nacua
WR
Head Shot
Olamide Zaccheaus
WR
Draft Grade — Bengals
Overall B+
ValueB NeedB- TradesA+ FutureB+
The Bengals fleeced the room on the phones and earned a B+.

There is conviction, and then there is this. The Bengals took Jordan Hall a full 60 picks ahead of where the board had him, an overdraft steep enough that it colors the whole weekend.

They robbed the room blind at the table, and it lifts the grade on its own. They punted on tight end, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.

In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.

Pick Analysis
Pick13 Rnd1 Caleb Downs
In Round 1, Pick 13 they get a centerfielder for the defense at a price that makes it sweeter. Need was not the driver here.
Pick57 Rnd2 Jake Slaughter
Jake Slaughter at pick No. 57 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the offensive lineman. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick61 Rnd2 Will Lee III
A straight-up fair deal on Will Lee III at the 61st overall pick, value and slot in agreement. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick72 Rnd3 Emmett Johnson
A conviction pick on Emmett Johnson at pick 72 that the board grades a round light. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick110 Rnd4 Malachi Lawrence
They reached a country mile for Malachi Lawrence at No. 110, and the board is aghast. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Pick188 Rnd6 Sawyer Robertson
They let Sawyer Robertson come to them and pounced at slot 188. It fills a real need, too.
Pick198 Rnd6 Jordan Hall
A wild overpay on Jordan Hall in pick 198, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick226 Rnd7 Da'Shawn Womack
Da'Shawn Womack at pick No. 226 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
Pick241 Rnd7 Riley Mahlman
Good price on Riley Mahlman in the Round 7 slot, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.