This is where things get… awkward.
Teams picking ninth through 12th usually don’t expect to be here — and for franchises like the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, and Dallas Cowboys, selecting this high signals a season that fell short of expectations.
These aren’t rebuilding rosters (other than the Miami Dolphins).
These are teams with established franchise quarterbacks, strong cores, and playoff aspirations. But something broke — whether it was injuries, defensive regression, cap strain, coaching turnover, or roster imbalance.
That’s what makes this range fascinating.
These front offices aren’t drafting for survival. They’re drafting to recalibrate. The goal isn’t to build a foundation — it’s to fix what prevented a deep playoff run.
And unlike the teams at the very top, these organizations must balance immediate impact with long-term cap sustainability. Extensions are looming. Core players are aging. Windows don’t stay open forever.
In this batch, we break down:
- The biggest roster holes for each franchise
- Contract situations and future cap implications
- Which positions should be prioritized for veterans and rookies
- Potential fantasy football implications
These are the teams that don’t want to be here — but could use this draft slot to reload in a big way.
Up next: the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, and Dallas Cowboys.
Salary cap contract information provided by Spotrac.
- Fantasy Football Research & Advice
- Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- 2026 NFL Mock Drafts
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
2026 NFL Draft Team Needs & Predictions: Bengals
2026 Free Agents:
- QB: Joe Flacco, Jake Browning (RFA)
- TE: Noah Fant
- OL: G Cordell Volson, G Lucas Patrick, G Dalton Risner
- EDGE: Trey Hendrickson, Joseph Ossai, Cameron Sample
- LB: Brian Asamoah
- CB: Marco Wilson, Cam Taylor-Britt, Jalen Davis
- S: Geno Stone, Tycen Anderson
2027 Free Agents:
- QB: Sean Clifford (RFA)
- RB: Samaje Perine, Gary Brightwell, Chase Brown
- WR: Charlie Jones, Mitchell Tinsley (ERFA), Andrei Iosivas, Ke’Shawn Williams (ERFA), Xavier Johnson (ERFA), Jordan Moore (ERFA)
- TE: Drew Sample, Tanner Hudson, Cam Grandy (RFA)
- OL: LT Orlando Brown Jr., LT Cody Ford, C Ted Karras, RT Javon Foster (ERFA), RT Andrew Coker (ERFA), C Jacob Bayer (ERFA)
- EDGE: Myles Murphy (CLUB), Isaiah Foskey (RFA), Antwaun Powell-Ryland (ERFA)
- DL: Tedarrell Slaton, Howard Cross (ERFA)
- LB: Oren Burks, Joe Giles-Harris, Shaka Heyward (ERFA), Liam Anderson (ERFA)
- CB: Daxton Hill, D.J. Turner, Bralyn Lux (ERFA), D.J. Ivey
- S: Jordan Battle, Russ Yeast, P.J. Jules (ERFA), Jalen Kimber (ERFA)
- ST: Ryan Rehkow (RFA)
Team Needs: EDGE, DT, LB, S, IOL
Say it with me. DEFENSE. No defense has more missed tackles than the Bengals did in 2025. Dead last in rushing yards allowed per game (147.1).
Aside from their No. 1 CB, DJ Turner (also entering the last year of his contract), this defense has nothing going right for it in 2025.
Trey Hendrickson is not coming back. Joseph Ossai led the team in pressures but he’s hitting free agency. DT BJ Hill is rumored to be a cut candidate (The Athletic).
The linebackers and safeties on this team were abysmal (hence why they were so bad versus tight ends). The back-end was constantly giving up huge plays. Starting safety Geno Stone is a free agent. Nickel cornerback Jalen Davis is also a free agent.
Second-year defensive coordinator Al Golden is going to have his work cut out for him. But at least the defense did show signs of improvement later down the stretch. Keep in mind that the Bengals don’t have many defensive free agents because they have a lot of young players starting (particularly at linebacker/cornerback) in 2025.
Golden was the former DC at Notre Dame from 2022-2024, so don’t overlook the connection in this year’s class with incoming rookies like OG Billy Schrauth and safety Jalen Stroman.
The offense is stacked across the skill positions, so everything Cincy does this offseason needs to be built around improving the defensive side of the football. Worth noting that their offensive line has holes on the interior, with center Ted Karras also entering the last year of his contract in 2026.
You could also see the Bengals look at RB – but with both Chase Brown and Samaje Perine under contract for 2026, I think this is an issue they kick down the road. Still, always a chance they will shake up the backfield by selecting one of these highly coveted Notre Dame RBs.
Pain.
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