Wiz'S MOCK DRAFT
  1. Home
  2. Simulator

Wiz'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON OCT 18, 2025

Bengals 2026

  • Wiz DRAFTING FOR THE
    Bengals
Draft Selections
Caleb Downs Head Shot
PICK: 7 RND: 1 (CIN)
Caleb Downs
S Ohio State
Christen Miller Head Shot
PICK: 42 RND: 2 (CIN)
Christen Miller
DL Georgia
Michael Taaffe Head Shot
PICK: 73 RND: 3 (CIN)
Michael Taaffe
S Texas
D'Angelo Ponds Head Shot
PICK: 108 RND: 4 (CIN)
D'Angelo Ponds
CB Indiana
Monroe Mills Head Shot
PICK: 190 RND: 6 (CIN)
Monroe Mills
OT Virginia
Patrick Payton Head Shot
PICK: 204 RND: 6 (CIN)
Patrick Payton
DL-EDGE LSU
Pat Coogan Head Shot
PICK: 226 RND: 7 (CIN)
Pat Coogan
C Indiana
Draft Grade — Bengals
Overall B-
ValueB+ NeedB- TradesB- FutureB-
Best value of the weekend goes to the Bengals for Miller: B-.

Thirty-one other rooms let Christen Miller slide, and the Bengals were the ones holding the card at No. 42. Highway robbery. No fireworks, but a solid B-.

The tight end hole is the one line item this class does not answer. The Taaffe pick is fine in a vacuum, less so with tight end, wide receiver and other spots still on the board. If Payton pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about.

In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the tight end spot they never got to.

Pick Analysis
Pick7 Rnd1 Caleb Downs
Caleb Downs at the 7th overall pick is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the safety. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Pick42 Rnd2 Christen Miller
A top-tier interior defensive lineman at a bargain, Christen Miller in pick No. 42, plain and simple. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick73 Rnd3 Michael Taaffe
They bypassed pressing needs at tight end, wide receiver and other spots to take Michael Taaffe, a safety that was not the priority.
Pick108 Rnd4 D'Angelo Ponds
They took D'Angelo Ponds at par in pick 108, which is nothing to complain about. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick190 Rnd6 Monroe Mills
A offensive lineman of that caliber at slot 190 is the definition of value, full stop. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick204 Rnd6 Patrick Payton
Patrick Payton in No. 204 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Pick226 Rnd7 Pat Coogan
A wild overpay on Pat Coogan in Round 7, Pick 9, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.