The window is open, but not for long.
Armed with a top-10 pick and a roster on the brink, the Cincinnati Bengals enter the 2026 NFL Draft knowing one thing: if they want to chase a Super Bowl, the defense can’t wait any longer.
Cincinnati has the offensive firepower to compete with anyone in the AFC. What they need now is a defense that can close out games (the Bengals lost five games by seven points or less last season). That reality puts pressure on this draft class to deliver immediate contributors, particularly in the secondary.
With the No. 10 overall pick, the Bengals are expected to target a high-impact defender such as Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr., or Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles. Landing any one of them would give the defense a much-needed cornerstone piece and help make up for the loss of Trey Hendrickson.
But the work doesn’t stop there.
Cornerback remains a critical need, even with a solid foundation already in place. In today’s NFL, depth and versatility at the position are essential, and Cincinnati appears to be doing its homework on options beyond the first round.
One name to watch is former San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson.
Johnson has been one of the more active prospects in the pre-draft process, meeting with a wide range of teams, including Cincinnati, as his stock continues to rise.
“I met with the Houston Texans, New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, and the Green Bay Packers, too. Those are just a couple that I did recently. I’ve been doing them for the past month,” Johnson told Justin Melo of SI.
At 6-0 and around 190 pounds, Johnson doesn’t overwhelm with size, but he makes up for it with his athleticism and strong instincts in coverage. At the NFL Combine, Johnson posted a time of 4.40 in the 40-yard dash and showed impressive short-area quickness.
Over his college career, Johnson developed into a reliable presence in the Aztecs’ secondary. Last year, Johnson posted four interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns, eight pass breakups, a forced fumble, and a sack. He showed a strong feel for reading quarterbacks, breaking on the ball, and limiting explosive plays, traits that will help make him successful at the next level.
If the Bengals go defense early, as expected, adding a player like Johnson in Round 2 could help solidify the secondary and give the unit another versatile piece to build around. He’s currently ranked 42nd overall at NFL Mock Draft Database.
For a team with championship aspirations, that kind of depth isn’t a luxury.
It’s a necessity.
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