The Cincinnati Bengals recorded yet another disappointing season under head coach Zac Taylor as they finished third in the AFC North with a 6-11 record, which handed them the tenth overall pick for the upcoming Draft. After a season plagued by defensive woes, the team needs to add more depth to its defense, a key part of its NFL Draft strategy.

“It becomes interesting if Bain is sitting there at ten,” the Ringer’s Todd McShay said, referring to Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr., before talking about Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy and LSU’s Mansoor Delane.

“Is that their edge, and it certainly could be, but they also could take the other corner. I think Miami at 11 could take a corner. I know Dallas would love to have one, but I don’t think either of them gets to 12. I actually don’t know that either of them gets to 11 is the point I’m trying to make?”

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Where Do the Bengals Still Lack Elite Talent?

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McShay speculates the possibility of Rueben Bain Jr. falling to the 10th pick for the Bengals, who have been eyeing defensive reinforcements throughout this offseason. Bain established himself as a dominant force, recording 9.5 sacks and 54 total tackles across 16 games in 2025.

He was also a Consensus All-American and earned ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors, recording 67 total pressures and forcing two fumbles, per PFF. But despite these stellar numbers, there have been rumors about the Miami defensive end falling lower in the draft because of his 30 7/8-inch arms, considered short for an EDGE player.

However, with his talent, Bain could emerge as a reliable prospect for the Bengals if he falls to the tenth spot, as he can help improve a defense that ranked 31st in total yardage allowed per game (380.9) and last in yards per play allowed in 2025. Furthermore, the franchise also ranks in the bottom three in EPA per play, rushing yards allowed per game, and total touchdowns allowed.

“It’s not nothing. It’s in between. The kid’s played his entire life that way and been pretty successful. But I think it will pose a challenge. He’s found a way to work around it, leaving blockers, using his [squatness] to his advantage,” an NFL executive said about Bain, as per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

“But you use your hands and arms on every play, trying to control the blocker who’s trying to control you, reaching and running 60 times a game. It’s an imperfect science, and you can’t say he can’t play football because he can. But he will have some issues.”

But if the ACC Defensive Player of the Year isn’t available, the Bengals will more likely stick to a corner like Jermod McCoy or Mansoor Delane, who have garnered interest from teams picking earlier in the draft. For Cincinnati, the cornerback position is the biggest area of concern, and adding either of these players will significantly help the franchise after a disappointing defensive season.

NFL executives believe Taylor only has “one year” to improve the Bengals

With an overall record of 52–63–1 (.453) in the regular season and a 5–2 (.714) postseason record, it appears that Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is running out of time. While Taylor led Cincy to a Super Bowl appearance and two AFC North titles in 2021 and 2022, he has failed to turn the franchise into a dominant force capable of competing for championships.

According to The Athletic, NFL executives believe the 2026 season could end up being the last for Taylor in Cincinnati.

“They knew they had to fix some stuff on defense,” an exec said. “It looks like they are saying, ‘You guys have one year to figure this out. Otherwise, we can get out of the coach’s contract.”

Now, with the NFL draft less than a month away, Zac Taylor must find the right players with Cincinnati’s eight total picks, which can help them win the AFC North and push for a Super Bowl win.