Jan. 31, 2026, 5:30 a.m. ET

Following a week’s worth of practice and running between media and team interviews, the players down in Mobile, Alabama are set for the main event of the week, the Senior Bowl game itself.

The Cincinnati Bengals have a history over the years of selecting players who have participated in the Senior Bowl. Head coach Zac Taylor also coached in the game in 2020, the year Cincinnati had the No. 1 overall pick and selected LSU quarterback Joe Burrow.

The 2026 Senior Bowl class once again has some very intriguing prospects that could hear their name called by Taylor and director of player personnel Duke Tobin in April. Here are some names to watch Saturday.

Caleb Banks, DT, Florida

Banks’ week didn’t start the way he wanted, but he certainly finished the week of practice on a high note. Banks got consistently better as the week wore on, with some labeling him as the most dominant player this week.

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Banks is coming off a season that was riddled with injuries, playing just 96 total snaps and recording just six tackles. He did have six sacks in the two seasons prior and showed this week he is getting back to the player he was before his 2025 injuries.

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Bud Clark, S, TCU

Ohio State safety Caleb Downs is going to be the popular pick in mock drafts for the Bengals at No. 10 overall. But if they don’t get Downs or choose to pass over him, Clark is a name to keep an eye on. Clark has been wowing folks all week with his coverage abilities and had a very nice interception on Thursday.

Clark had four interceptions and seven passes defended in 2025 for TCU and totaled 15 interceptions and 20 passes defended for his career.

Clark is currently projected to go on Day 3 but could climb up into Day 2, where the Bengals currently have two picks (Nos. 41 and 72).

Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois

Michigan’s Derrick Moore may have been the star of the show, but Jacas may have been a solid second, as he showed a lot of speed and versatility on the defensive line in Mobile, playing multiple positions and moving well all over. Not bad for someone who had 11 sacks last season for the Illini. That accounted for over one-third of Illinois’ 29 total sacks.

Cincinnati is constantly looking for edge help. Jacas can provide that on the second day of the draft.

Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State

Even with allowing a crazy catch to John Carroll wide receiver Tyren Montgomery, Johnson had himself a very solid week in Mobile. Johnson, who was named Second-Team AP All-American and co-Defensive Player of the Year in the Mountain West, showed very good coverage skills, just as he did with the Aztecs, where he totaled six interceptions and 14 passes defended. He’s a potential second-round target for the Bengals.

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