Bengals in best spot at 10th pick with very simple NFL Draft plan

TL;DR

The Cincinnati Bengals hold the 10th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, along with several other picks. Analysts believe this position is ideal for addressing their defensive needs.

Key points

Cincinnati Bengals hold the 10th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft
Bengals also have multiple other picks: 42nd, 72nd, 110th, 189th, 199th, 221st, 226th
Analysts believe this is the best position for the Bengals
The team's focus is on addressing defensive needs

Mentioned in this story

Ben Solak

Cincinnati BengalsNFL Draft 2026

Bengals in best spot at 10th pick with very simple NFL Draft plan originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Cincinnati Bengals are in a fantastic spot in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. They are selecting 10th overall, and also own the 42nd, 72nd, 110th, 189th, 199th, 221st, and 226th picks in the draft.

But the reason why they are in such a great spot isn't the depth of their class, but rather what the 10th pick does for the Bengals in this spot.

ESPN analyst Ben Solak also believes that there's not a team in a better spot than the Bengals with this pick. The reason why is simple: with the clear need for defense, this is a fantastic draft slot to be in.

Bengals in great spot with 10th pick of NFL Draft

"In my opinion, no team is sitting in a better position than the Bengals at No. 10," Solak writes. They have defensive needs at every level of the depth chart, and their confidence that a top-10 talent falls into their lap should be fairly high."

The Bengals should be able to stick and pick at the 10th pick and land an immediate impact defensive starter. Put another way by Solak, "Draft the best defensive player at No. 10. Profit."

But, how would this exactly work? Why can the Bengals be so confident at the 10th pick, with nine teams picking ahead of them, that they'll land a good defensive player?

The math is simple. Fernando Mendoza is going first overall to the Las Vegas Raiders. Then the New York Jets are set to go for one of the edge rushers, David Bailey or Arvell Reese. Whoever doesn't go will likely be scooped up shortly thereafter.