Final Mel Kiper 2-round NFL Mock Draft has Bengals going defense

Dec 20, 2025; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive end Cashius Howell (9) tackles Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Malachi Toney (10) during the game between the Aggies and the Hurricanes at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Love him (I do) or hate him, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., is one of the most respected voices in the NFL Draft scene. After coming on the scene in 1984, before the NFL Draft was what it is today, Kiper has helped revolutionize one of the final weekends in April into must-watch television.

While his mock drafts aren’t always spot-on, he has a good pulse on the league, and, in particular, the AFC North. Kiper has an affinity for the Baltimore Ravens, but he also knows his stuff when it comes to their divisional rivals.

Recently, Kiper unveiled his final two-round mock draft on the Mothership’s main site. In it, the Bengals take two talented defenders, but they don’t come without their questions.

As many are leaning recently, Kiper has the Bengals taking a cornerback at No. 10 overall. And, true to the Bengals’ standards, they take the big-school SEC guy who has few medical red flags.

Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU

This has become a pretty popular mock draft match, and it makes sense. Cam Taylor-Britt signed in Indianapolis, and the No. 2 corner spot opposite DJ Turner II is up for grabs in Cincinnati. The Bengals have to do something on defense to catch that unit up to the offense a bit; it allowed 7.8 yards per pass attempt in 2025, fourth worst in the league. Delane is technically sound, and he can make plays to get the defense off the field and put the ball in quarterback Joe Burrow’s hands. Over four college seasons — including three at Virginia Tech — Delane had 27 pass breakups and eight interceptions.

While defensive line and linebacker remain a primary focus for the Bengals’ defense, Kiper’s mock has a number of coveted players off the board when Cincinnati picks. Arvel Reese, Caleb Downs, David Bailey, and Sonny Styles have all been picked in this mock.

And, as we know with the Bengals’ hardball negotiations with many of their stars over the years, it’s not within the realm of impossibility that the team selects a high-end corner in the wake of potential negotiations with Dax Hill and DJ Turner. Even so, the team could be coveting another quality corner to aid a defensive line in flux.

As it goes with Delane, he’s a clean prospect. However, the main knock, oddly enough, is that teams did not challenge him at LSU. He was a shutdown corner by many accounts, but how does that SEC approach translate to the NFL?

At No. 41—another valuable pick—Kiper has the Bengals addressing the defensive line. Uber-productive, albeit physically-limited edge defender, Cashius Howell, was pegged to Cincinnati by Kiper in his mock.

Cashius Howell, OLB, Texas A&M

Bengals fans will see “Texas A&M edge rusher” and have flashbacks to last April, when the team took Shemar Stewart despite his 4.5 sacks over three seasons with the Aggies. Stewart ended up with one sack as a rookie. Howell wears the same uniform but is on the other end of the spectrum. He had 11.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss last season. That’s big-time production for a Cincinnati team that just lost Trey Hendrickson.

Howell is one of those players in whom you hope the tape outweighs the measurables. That’s where this makes sense in the second round. Teams often take “risky” players on Night 2, and Howell fits that bill.

His arm length. scheme fit, and wingspan will undoubtedly be an issue for teams, but his production can’t be denied (15 sacks the last three seasons). When you look at his size, it isn’t the prototypical defensive end the Bengals target, but the team needs able pass-rushers with the departures of Trey Hendrickson, Joseph Ossai, and Cam Sample.

To put it gently, the Bengals would be going against the grain in picking Howell for a number of reasons. However, there is stock to be taken in teammates to be taken together and the knowledge of playing styles together.

Both of Kiper’s picks make the defense better in the immediate and long-term future.