The Cincinnati Bengals missed the playoffs again, and once again, one of the main culprits was a poorly performing defense. Al Golden’s first season as the team’s defensive coordinator didn’t go as either he or Zac Taylor wanted it to go, but there were some small glimmers of hope at the end of the season.
A FOX Sports mock draft aims to give Golden another first-round defensive player, but it’s a swing most Bengals fans would likely not want them to take.
With the No. 10 overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, Rob Rang selected Tennessee Volunteers cornerback Jermod McCoy.
“Like with the Commanders, the injury to star quarterback Joe Burrow played an undeniable role in the Bengals’ disappointing 2025 season, but a leaky secondary deserves some blame as well,” he wrote. “Duke Tobin has historically shown a willingness to gamble on draft day, and he may be more willing than most to overlook the fact that McCoy missed the entire 2025 season with a torn ACL. When healthy, McCoy has shown true man-to-man cover skills, demonstrating not only elite change of direction and acceleration but ball-hawking instincts and hands.”
On paper, McCoy would check all the boxes. The Bengals need help in the secondary. Cam Taylor-Britt has regressed, and Dax Hill is playing on his fifth-year option, and DJ Turner is in a contract year as well. However, it would be nice to use a first-round pick on someone who doesn’t have any health flags, can contribute on Day 1, and has a productive college career.
Tobin has a history of selecting players who either can’t get on the field right away, like Hill and Myles Murphy, both of whom spent a long time as rotational players before they got consistent playing time. He’s also selected guys who were selected based on physical attributes that were regarded with more weight than what they produced in college, like Shemar Stewart, last year’s first-round edge rusher who racked up four total sacks while at Texas A&M.
While McCoy could be healthy and could be a productive corner at the NFL level, it’s time for the Bengals to use their top-10 pick on someone they KNOW (as much as they can about a prospect) can step in right away and make a difference on the defense. Someone like Miami’s Rueben Bain, Texas Tech’s David Bailey, or Ohio State’s Caleb Downs.
How would you feel if the Bengals used their first-round pick on McCoy? Sound off.
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