The Cincinnati Bengals, along with all the other NFL teams, are busy in Indianapolis checking all the boxes on the newest crop of rookies heading into the upcoming draft. That means they’re not only checking all the measurables, but they’re meeting with incoming rookies to get a feel for who they could be giving a ton of money to in just a couple of months.
The Cincinnati Bengals have met with several defensive prospects, and one of those, according to reports, is Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey, per FOX19’s Jeremy Rauch.
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Bailey is an explosive off the edge. He may be considered somewhat undersized for a 4-3 defensive end—6-foot-3, 250 pounds—but his athleticism and sack production this past season can’t be ignored. Bailey turned in 14.5 sacks in 2025, and he earned PFF’s highest pass-rushing grade of any college edge rusher in the NCAA.
The Cincinnati Bengals are, in all likelihood, losing All-Pro Trey Hendrickson in free agency. They could use the franchise tag on him, which would pay a fully guaranteed $36 million, but most analysts believe they’ll allow the 32-year-old to enter free agency. If that happens, landing Bailey at No. 10 could help reshape the defensive line when it comes to how they rush the passer.
Bailey is going anywhere between No. 4 and No. 16 in recent mock drafts. What would you think if they brought him to Cincinnati in April?
