Nose tackle Dontay Corleone went undrafted but the Bengals can seize this opportunity to bolster their defensive line.
Cincinnati Bengals fans have every reason to feel good about where this franchise stands after a draft weekend that fundamentally reshaped the identity of this defense. The Bengals invested the 10th overall pick in one of the most powerful defensive tackles in the NFL in veteran Dexter Lawrence and complemented it by adding pass-rushing ace Cashius Howell at No. 41 overall.
They followed that with cornerback Tacario Davis’s rare length in the third round, future starting center Connor Lew in the fourth, and closed the class with Landon Robinson, a Navy defensive tackle who grew up a Bengals fan.
But one player who slipped through the entire seven-round draft unselected deserves serious attention from Duke Tobin’s front office, and he happens to play the same position as Cincinnati’s most marquee acquisition.
Dontay Corleone, nicknamed “The Godfather,” went undrafted out of the University of Cincinnati. For a player who carried Day 2 projections for much of the pre-draft process, that’s a stunning fall. And the Bengals should be making that call right now, or at least give it some consideration.
Why Corleone Went Undrafted
The basic answer is that no one quite knows. One possibility is that there is serious concern about blood clots he had to overcome during his college career and how NFL teams view that medically. Corleone was diagnosed with blood clots in 2024 and went through a period of genuine uncertainty about whether his football career would continue.
He returned and played, but his medical history, which also includes a knee injury in 2022 and a lower-body injury that limited him in 2025, created enough hesitation for every team to pass on 257 picks worth of selections.
The Bengals, New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys have been linked as the favorites for his services as an undrafted free agent. Considering he played his college ball in Cincinnati, there’s a high chance he could be wearing orange and black next season.
Why the Bengals Should Sign Him
Corleone is a strong and stout presence in the running game with the ability to reset the line of scrimmage. He listed No. 14 on Bruce Feldman’s list of extraordinary athletes prior to the 2025 campaign. He bench pressed 485 pounds, squatted 615, and sumo deadlifted 585, while clocking a 1.71-second 10-yard split.
Calling him a freakish athlete is an understatement. He has impressive upper body strength, shoots his hands quickly to generate knockback power, and is quick to recognize down blocks by shifting his eyes and hands to avoid getting washed inside. On run downs, he is as difficult to move as anyone in this draft class.
Corleone has a similar profile as former Baltimore Ravens nose tackle Michael Pierce: a short-armed but extremely powerful nose plug who gave them enough pass-rushing ability to earn meaningful snaps throughout his NFL career.
The Bengals’ defensive line already includes Lawrence, BJ Hill, Jonathan Allen, Cashius Howell, Myles Murphy, and Shemar Stewart.
Corleone wouldn’t be asked to start. He’d be a short-yardage specialist, a body who comes on third-and-one and goal-line situations to eat blockers and free up Lawrence to work his angles.
He can join an NFL team and immediately be a stalwart in the A-gap in run defense situations, gobbling up double teams and allowing other players opportunities to shoot gaps. And behind a proven veteran like Lawrence, he may never need to be more than that.