Cincy Jungle
The Cincinnati Bengals will officially be selecting 10th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. Let’s take a look at my current top 100 prospects for the draft this year.
Mendoza led Indiana to the National Championship this year. The California transfer won the Heisman Trophy for his play during the regular season. Some of his best attributes include his accuracy, underrated mobility, and ball placement. Mendoza has a ridiculous 41 touchdowns to just 6 interception ratio on the season.
Downs was an All-American at safety for the Buckeyes. He is considered a coach on the field. He is a tape grinder, which allows him to always be in the right spot, at the right time. He is a reliable tackler on the back end of a defense. He can line up in the box, in single high, or in the slot. He isn’t going to be an elite tester, but the tape speaks for itself. Safeties are not typically selected in the top ten due to perceived positional value; Downs should be an exception this year.
Love put up over 1100 yards rushing and over 200 yards receiving during the 2024 season. He surpassed those numbers in 2025. He rushed for over 1,300 yards with 18 rushing touchdowns. He added another 280 receiving yards with 3 touchdowns on the season. He is elusive with the ball in his hands, rarely fumbles, and is a legit weapon in the receiving game. His burst through the line and top-end speed allow him to be a threat to take it to the house on any given play.
Bain has been putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks at a high rate all season long. He had a 30.4% win-rate on true pass sets in 2025. He is a sawed-off powerhouse at 6’3”, 275 pounds. He possesses knock-back power in his hands, is stout against the run, and had over 80 pressures during the 2025 season.
Fano played left tackle at Utah as a true freshman. The past two seasons, he has kicked over and played at a high level on the right side. This guy moves like a tight end. He was arguably the best run blocker in all of college football. He has a finishing mindset and plays through the whistle. He needs to be more consistent in pass protection, but he has the athleticism to continue improving in that area.
The sack numbers are not overly impressive, with only two this season. The advanced numbers tell a better story of the type of talent he is. He has a 16% win-rate on true pass sets. Combine that with a stop rate over 10% as a run defender. Those numbers have directly correlated with guys that end up being the best defensive tackles in football...
