Cincinnati Bengals Mock Draft: A defense-first reset, starting with Peter Woods in Round 1

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Last offseason was largely about keeping quarterback Joe Burrow happy by retaining his top weapons, a goal the Bengals ultimately accomplished when Tee Higgins signed a new contract last March. That success, however, came at the expense of the defensive side of the ball, which endured a dismal 2025 campaign.

With the defense’s lone constant, edge defender Trey Hendrickson, now set to enter free agency, Cincinnati faces significant needs at every level of the unit. Fortunately, the Bengals still have their draft capital largely intact and own picks in each of the first four rounds.

While the team could look to strengthen the interior offensive line or plan ahead at tackle — with current starting left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. entering the final year of his deal — going defense-heavy throughout the draft is very much on the table, and this mock reflects that approach. With 15 of the 18 defenders who logged at least 100 run-defense snaps in 2025 grading below average in that facet, expect Cincinnati’s draft class to place a particular emphasis on fixing a run defense that became a glaring weakness.

Round 1, Pick 10: DI Peter Woods, Clemson

It starts with run defense for the Bengals, and that is the hallmark of Woods’ game. A three-year standout at Clemson, he graded positively on a remarkably consistent 25.3% of all run plays. While his pass-rush production dipped in 2025, he posted win rates north of 14.0% in each of the previous two seasons.

Round 2, Pick 41: S AJ Haulcy, LSU

A 2025 transfer from Houston, Haulcy earned excellent run-defense grades in each of his three seasons as a collegiate starter, while his coverage grades over the past two years — 2024 at Houston and 2025 at LSU — both topped 88.0.

Across those two seasons, he recorded eight interceptions and forced an additional 12 incompletions.

Round 3, Pick 72: Edge Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State

At 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, Dennis-Sutton has the requisite size the Bengals prefer on the edge. He was a productive, well-rounded defender for the Nittany Lions last season, recording seven sacks and 50 total pressures while also grading positively on 16.0% of run plays, compared to grading negatively on just 8.5% of plays.

Round 4, Pick 110: CB Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina

Kilgore’s on-ball production in coverage was excellent in 2025. He allowed just 52.3% of passes into his coverage to be completed while intercepting two throws and forcing 11 incompletions. He also earned a strong 81.0 run-defense grade, continuing a consistent theme for this Bengals mock draft class.

Round 6, Pick 187: S Bud Clark, TCU

Clark has extensive experience as a coverage defender both in the box and in the slot and has proven to be highly disruptive when the ball is in the air. Over the past three seasons at TCU, Clark recorded 10 interceptions and 16 forced incompletions, and he earned a coverage grade above 87.0 in each of the past two campaigns.