Bengals' top 10 draft pick is nice, but not nearly enough

The Cincinnati Bengals will officially pick 10th in the 2026 NFL draft.

After the Bengals’ loss to the Cleveland Browns in the season finale and other results around the NFL, the final landing spot came down to either ninth or 10th.

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With the Patrick Mahomes-less Kansas City Chiefs losing on the same day, the Bengals slipped to 10th:

1. Raiders

2. Jets

3. Cardinals

4. Titans

5. Giants

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6. Browns

7. Commanders

8. Saints

9. Chiefs

10. Bengals

The Bengals’ draft slot is nice and could afford them a blue-chip defensive prospect for a unit that desperately needs help.

But it’s not nearly enough.

The Bengals didn’t pay up for veterans nearly enough last offseason and it showed on defense right away this season.

At a glance, Joseph Ossai and Trey Hendrickson are free agents. The primary edge rushers are Shemar Stewart and Myles Murphy, two guys who have flashed but can’t be relied on fully. There’s a void of long-term talent on the inside capable of creating pressure.

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In the secondary, the Bengals still have yet to fill the void left by Jessie Bates’ departure. Jordan Battle has yet to convincingly show he’s a starter. And while Dax Hill and DJ Turner make sense as boundary corners, they’ve had attendance woes. There’s likely a void at the nickel, too.

Doing nothing again but hoping a first-rounder comes in and makes all the difference won’t work.

The draft slotting is nice, yes. But top 10 picks can go wrong too (John Ross, anyone?) and this year showed that a draft without smart free-agent spending is just throwing seasons away.

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This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals' top 10 draft pick is nice, but not nearly enough