USA Today’s Nate Davis published his latest NFL mock draft on Monday afternoon with an interesting twist for the Cincinnati Bengals, who hold the No. 10 overall pick.
Davis projects the Bengals to select Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane, the first time any mock draft has linked Ioane to the Bengals.
Here’s what Davis said about the redshirt junior out of Happy Valley:
“Any number of directions this team could go. But after revamping the defense in free agency, the best play might be simply getting this year’s best interior blocker in a bid to better cocoon QB Joe Burrow, who’s only played two full seasons during his six-year career – a pretty good indication he still requires better protection.”
In 2025, Ioane blocked for Ethan Grunkemeyer and Drew Allar, who combined for 2,439 passing yards but were sacked 19 times in 13 games. The Nittany Lions racked up 2,267 rushing yards last fall.
So far in the offseason, the Bengals agreed to a two-year contract extension with left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and re-signed free agent guard Dalton Risner on a one-year deal.
Previous mock drafts projected the Bengals to select Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, OSU linebacker Sonny Styles, or Miami (FL) defensive end Reuben Bain, Jr.. Davis projects Downs to go to the New York Giants with the fifth overall pick, Styles to go to the Washington Commanders with the seventh pick, and Bain, Jr. to go to the Baltimore Ravens with the 14th pick.
The 2026 NFL Draft will be held April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Latest USA TODAY NFL mock draft matches Penn State guard to Bengals
Reporting by Brendan Connelly, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
