The NFL draft has finally arrived. After a long wait, the action in Pittsburgh will kick off Thursday night. Of course, Cincinnati Bengals fans will likely have to wait one more day before seeing their team jump in the action, unless Duke Tobin makes a big splash and jumps back into the first round on Thursday. The Bengals traded the No. 10 pick to the New York Giants for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.

The Bengals still have seven picks entering the draft. They have one pick in the second, third and fourth rounds plus two picks each in the sixth and seventh rounds.

With that, here is our final seven-round mock draft for the Bengals, with a Day 2 trade mixed in.

Trading back was tempting, but the Bengals would be hard-pressed to pass up one of the top inside linebackers in this class. The former quarterback could soon become the quarterback of the defense for Al Golden and immediately upgrade the linebacking group after both Demetrius Knight and Barrett Carter struggled as rookies.

Bengals acquire Nos. 86 and 123 from Chargers for No. 72

The Bengals move back in round three, picking up an extra fourth-round pick and landing a very intriguing hybrid player in Jaishawn Barham. He played both outside and edge defender at Michigan, displaying excellent explosiveness and physicality. He had ten tackles for a loss last season. He also brings plenty of game experience, having started 47 games across four seasons (two at Michigan, two at Maryland).

Zuhn played almost his entire career at left tackle, but projects to center in the NFL, which fits what the Bengals need down the line, with Ted Karras likely entering his final season in Cincinnati. Zuhn started 50 games over the last four seasons. He did start one game at center, which will help with his transition to the position at the next level.

With the extra pick acquired from the Chargers, the Bengals add a potential option at nickel in Jalon Kilgore. Kilgore has played both the slot and deep safety, but is more of a fit in the box. The bet is on his athleticism carrying him through and he does bring good production against the pass to the table (29 passes defended, eight interceptions).

A smaller receiver (5-10, 178) but one with plenty of speed (4.35 40). Rivers has the potential to stretch the field for Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins and operate in the slot. He can also compete to be the primary punt returner.

Back-to-back Yellow Jackets in this mock. The Bengals continue to add depth on the interior defensive line, especially with TJ Slaton among those now as a potential cut candidate. van den Berg would be the first player from South Africa to be drafted to the NFL.

Kacmarek is one of the better blocking tight ends in this class and the Bengals can use all the protection they can get. The Bengals do still like the potential of Erick All Jr., but Kacmarek could be viewed as potential protege for Drew Sample, as Paul Dehner of The Athletic noted.

A developmental offensive tackle option for the Bengals, Rucci started 18 games in two seasons for Penn State after transferring from Wisconsin, including 12 starts in 2025. His father, Todd, was a second-round pick (No. 51 overall) of the New England Patriots in 1993 and his grandfather, Thomas Gilburg, was a second-round pick (No. 21 overall) by the Baltimore Colts in 1961. His mother, Stacy, also played field hockey at Penn State.

This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals trade, win big in final 7-round NFL mock draft