The Cincinnati Bengals had one of the worst defenses in the NFL this past season, but there are several ways they could upgrade it in the offseason. One of them is selecting a defensive player with their first-round pick, and that's what The Draft Network's Justin Melo predicted in his latest mock draft.

Melo predicted that the Bengals would draft Clemson interior defensive lineman Peter Woods No. 10 overall.

“The Cincinnati Bengals are a full-blown disaster on defense. Trey Hendrickson is probably departing in free agency," he wrote. "The defensive line needs a lot more talent opposite the raw Shemar Stewart. Clemson’s Peter Woods has the skill set needed to potentially develop into a dominant pass-rushing 3-tech.”

Woods totaled 30 tackles and two sacks as a junior for the Tigers this past season and can play both on the inside and outside, per ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr.

"Woods wasn't elite in 2025, but the skill set is exactly what NFL teams covet," he wrote. "In the pros, Woods would fit nicely at 3-technique, though he has the versatility to move around on a defensive front. He plays on the inside the majority of the time, but he also can be disruptive off the edge. His strength will intrigue a lot of NFL teams no matter where he lines up."

Drafting for need instead of the best player available is never advisable, but Cincinnati will be in a difficult situation if Hendrickson leaves in free agency, which is likely considering that its relationship with him has "run its course," per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. 

"The Bengals have the option to franchise tag Hendrickson, but after a year of contentious contract negotiations, the edge rusher appears poised to land elsewhere and capitalize on a booming positional market," he wrote.

Hendrickson only played seven games in 2025 due to injury, which is one of the reasons why the Bengals finished 30th in the NFL with 28.9 points per game. The 31-year-old had 17.5 sacks in each of the previous two campaigns, and yet Cincinnati still finished in the bottom half of the league in points allowed each time.

In short, investing Day One and Day Two picks into the defense makes sense for the Bengals, as well as looking for upgrades via trade and free agency. They have star quarterback Joe Burrow as well as wideouts Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on offense, but they've learned the hard way that those guys can't carry them to a ring without any help on the other side of the ball.