The Cincinnati Bengals had a quiet first night of the 2026 NFL Draft after shipping their No. 10 overall pick to the Giants in exchange for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. “Sexy Dexy” made an appearance at the team’s draft party Thursday night, but the team didn’t make any selections on Night 1.
However, they are slated to pick ninth (No. 41 overall) on Friday evening and again at No. 72 overall in the third round. There have been rumblings that the team may maneuver around Friday evening, but that remains
to be seen.
While teams had eight minutes to make a selection in the first round, that time diminishes on the second night. Teams have seven minutes in the second round and five minutes in the third round. And, instead of an 8 PM start time (ET), Night 2 kicks off at 7 PM ET.
If the Bengals stay put at No. 41, they should be announcing their first pick of the class around 8:00-8:15 PM ET. This takes into account commercial breaks (these telecasts are notorious for going to them when the Bengals’ pick is in), as well as the draft commencing a few minutes after the initial address and announcements.
At No. 72 and accounting for potentially more trades being made, Cincinnati could be picking sometime around 10 PM ET or later.
Right now, FanDuel has some of the consensus top remaining players coinciding with the Bengals’ top targets in Round 2: Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy (a guy once often mocked to the team at No. 10), Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, and Arizona State cornerback Colton Hood.
For Round 3, the Bengals will likely be looking at cornerback or linebacker — whichever position they do not select in Round 2. Cincinnati will likely aim for defense in Round 3 but could surprise with a selection at wide receiver or offensive line.
The 2026 NFL Draft will be broadcast on ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network as well as streaming live on NFL+, ESPN App, Hulu + Live TV, Disney+, and FuboTV. Audio coverage is available on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Westwood One Sports, and ESPN Radio.
