Brian Parker II NFL Draft 2026 Scouting Report for Cincinnati Bengals IOL

The Cincinnati Bengals selected Duke IOL Brian Parker II with the No. 189 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

Brian Parker II is a hard-nosed, athletic blocker with strong hands and excellent competitive toughness. His sawed-off frame and below average play strength will cap his ceiling as a pro, projecting him as high-quality swing interior backup with starter upside at center.

Parker is a 6'5", 309-pound interior line prospect, who entered the Duke program as a 3-star recruit in the 2022 class.

Parker started 33 career games (32 at right tackle, one at left tackle) including 13 starts at right tackle in 2025. The former Blue Devil earned AP First Team All-ACC honors last season and participated in the 2026 Shrine Bowl.

Brandon Thorn: Brandon is the author of the Trench Warfare newsletter, which focuses exclusively on offensive and defensive line evaluation. He also contributes as an analyst to Establish the Run, serves as the scouting coordinator for OL Masterminds and is a selection committee member for the Joe Moore Award. 

Highlights

Brian Parker II highlights

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Where He Wins

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— Very good quickness, burst and agility.

— Accurate, tight hand placement with very good grip strength and lower half mobility to latch, re-leverage and sustain blocks.

— Surges into contact with aggressiveness and physicality before consistently running his feet and straining to finish.

— Skilled, efficient zone run blocker who hits his landmarks and aiming points on backside cut-offs, overtakes and releases to the second-level.

Areas of Improvement

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— Sawed-off frame with below-average arm length creates soft edges and leaves Parker too easily stacked.

— Mediocre mass, girth and square power.

— Will drop his eyes and dip his head into contact, leaving him vulnerable to whiffing against movement across his face.

Grade, Rank and Pro Comparison

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GRADE: 7.0 (High-Level Backup/Starter Upside - Round 3)

COMPARABLE GRADE: Joe Tippmann (7.4 in 2023), Cole Strange (7.1 in 2022), Robert Hainsey (7.6 in 2021)

OVERALL RANK: 114

POSITION RANK: IOL10

PRO COMPARISON: Ryan Bates

Measurables and Testing Data

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Height: 6'5"
Weight: 309
Arm: 32 ⅞"
Hand: 10"

40-Yard Dash: 5.14
10-Yard Split: 1.78
Vertical: NA
Broad: 9'1"
Shuttle: 4.8
3-Cone: 7.66
Bench: 29