Cincinnati Bengals Diversify Picks In Latest Three-Round 2026 Mock Draft

CINCINNATI — With the NFL Combine on the horizon, the Cincinnati Bengals are already drawing a clear roadmap for the 2026 draft. A fresh three-round projection from Pro Football Focus analyst Gordon McGuinness shows the franchise spreading its early capital across both lines and the secondary, landing three players who sit inside the top 75 of the consensus big board.

The first salvo comes at pick 10, where Miami (FL) offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa headlines the haul. Mauigoa, who carries an 85.8 PFF pass-blocking grade on true pass sets from the 2025 season, is viewed as the draft’s premier blocker and the fourth-best prospect overall. Although he spent his collegiate career on the right edge, scouts believe he could slide inside to guard or flip to the blindside once veteran Orlando Brown Jr.’s contract expires after the upcoming season.

McGuinness explained the selection by noting that while Cincinnati could pounce on Alabama safety Caleb Downs if he tumbles, the board breaks in a way that makes Mauigoa the logical anchor for an offensive line still in transition.

The defensive help arrives 31 picks later. Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman, the third-rated safety in the class and the 39th-ranked player overall, comes off the board to the Bengals at 41. Thieneman’s range and ball skills would address a secondary that has ceded too many explosives over the middle in recent seasons.

Cincinnati wraps up the exercise at 72 with Iowa State defensive tackle Domonique Orange. Ranked seventh at his position and one slot ahead of local fan-favorite Dontay Corleone, Orange adds interior quickness and run-stopping punch to a front that struggled to control the line of scrimmage a year ago.

From a value standpoint, the trio represents a clean sweep: each selection aligns almost perfectly with the consensus big board, suggesting the Bengals would be grabbing high-impact rookies at every turn.

Director of player personnel Duke Tobin cautioned last month that the evaluation cycle remains fluid. “We’re just diving into it,” Tobin said. “The juniors haven’t even all fully declared yet. The way college football is now, the universe is hard to pin down. You have your seniors, your juniors, you have sixth-year guys. We have a lot of 24- and 25-year-old guys. And then you have the guys who declare late.”

Until the full pool of underclassmen is set, boards will continue to shift, but the early outline from McGuinness offers a glimpse at a front office intent on reinforcing the trenches and back end in equal measure.