LJH'S MOCK DRAFT
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LJH'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON APR 15, 2026

WHO DEY

  • LJH DRAFTING FOR THE
    Bengals
Draft Selections
Arvell Reese Head Shot
PICK: 10 RND: 1 (CIN)
Arvell Reese
LB Ohio State
Peter Woods Head Shot
PICK: 41 RND: 2 (CIN)
Peter Woods
DT Clemson
Eli Stowers Head Shot
PICK: 72 RND: 3 (CIN)
Eli Stowers
TE Vanderbilt
Jalon Kilgore Head Shot
PICK: 110 RND: 4 (CIN)
Jalon Kilgore
CB South Carolina
Jalen Stroman Head Shot
PICK: 189 RND: 6 (CIN)
Jalen Stroman
S Notre Dame
VJ Payne Head Shot
PICK: 199 RND: 6 (CIN)
VJ Payne
S Kansas State
Thaddeus Dixon Head Shot
PICK: 221 RND: 7 (CIN)
Thaddeus Dixon
CB North Carolina
Jaydn Ott Head Shot
PICK: 226 RND: 7 (CIN)
Jaydn Ott
RB Oklahoma
Draft Grade — Bengals
Overall B
ValueB NeedB+ TradesB- FutureB-
A respectable, level-headed haul for the Bengals: B.

The Bengals looked at the value chart, folded it up, and took Jaydn Ott at the Round 7 slot regardless, 22 picks early. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B.

They covered a lot of ground and still skipped wide receiver, which is a strange place to end up. If one pick saves this weekend, it is Stowers. Cornerback was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job.

In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.

Pick Analysis
Pick10 Rnd1 Arvell Reese
In slot 10 they get a coverage-and-run second-level piece. A real need, handled.
Pick41 Rnd2 Peter Woods
A tidy bit of business in pick No. 41, where Peter Woods graded well above the range. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick72 Rnd3 Eli Stowers
The board had Eli Stowers higher than the 72nd overall pick, and the tight end fell to them anyway. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick110 Rnd4 Jalon Kilgore
Jalon Kilgore in the 110th pick is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick189 Rnd6 Jalen Stroman
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Jalen Stroman. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Pick199 Rnd6 VJ Payne
They took VJ Payne at par in Round 6, Pick 18, which is nothing to complain about. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
Pick221 Rnd7 Thaddeus Dixon
A straight-up fair deal on Thaddeus Dixon at the 221st overall pick, value and slot in agreement. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick226 Rnd7 Jaydn Ott
Jaydn Ott at the Round 7 slot is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.