USA Today’s Nate Davis released his latest NFL mock draft on Monday afternoon, and it puts an interesting twist on the Cincinnati Bengals, who have the 10th overall pick.
Davis expects the Bengals to select Penn State linebacker Olewga Ivan, the first mock draft to link Ivan to the Bengals.
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Here’s what Davis had to say about the redshirt junior from Happy Valley:
“This team can go in any direction. But after revamping the defense in free agency, the best game might be to simply get this year’s best interior blocker to better tie down quarterback Joe Burrow, who has played just two full seasons in his six-year career — a good sign that he still needs better protection.”
In 2025, Ioan blocked for Ethan Grunkemeyer and Drew Allar, who combined for 2,439 yards but had 19 sacks in 13 games. Last fall, the Nittany Lions rushed for 2,267 yards.
Olaivavega Ioane (71) is a redshirt junior linebacker for the Penn State Nittany Lions.
So far this offseason, the Bengals have agreed to a two-year contract extension with left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and a one-year extension with free agent linebacker Dalton Risner.
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Previous mock drafts predicted the Bengals would select Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, OSU linebacker Sonny Styles or Miami (Fla.) defensive end Reuben Bain, Jr. Davis expects Towns to go to the New York Giants with the fifth overall pick, Styles to the Washington Commanders with the seventh overall pick, and Bane Jr. to the Baltimore Ravens with the 14th overall pick.
The 2026 NFL Draft will be held in Pittsburgh from April 23-25.
This article originally appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer: USA TODAY NFL mock draft suggests Bengals could draft Penn State linebacker