In 2021, the Cincinnati Bengals had one of the best offseasons in team history, highlighted by the addition of Trey Hendrickson in free agency.
At the time, Hendrickson was viewed as a solid player who still had room to grow after four years with the New Orleans Saints.
But what happened next was what truly made this one of the best moves in team history.
Hendrickson would blossom into a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate. His addition was a big reason why the Bengals made back-to-back AFC Championship Games and earned an appearance in Super Bowl LVI.
This offseason, the Bengals attempted to recreate that magic with Boye Mafe, another rising edge rusher who hadn’t quite had his breakout yet but still flashed a wealth of potential for a Seattle Seahawks defense that carried the team to a Super Bowl LX championship.
Neither Hendrickson nor Mafe was viewed as a true game-changer when the Bengals signed them, but the former became a hit, and the latter is off to a good start toward becoming one.
In Sunday’s 20-6 win over the Houston Texans, Mafe terrorized CJ Stroud throughout the game and never let the Pro Bowl quarterback find any rhythm. The 27-year-old edge rusher finished with eight QB pressures, the third-most of any player in Week 2 (pending Monday Night Football).
But don’t sleep on Mafe’s ability to hold his gap and defend the run. His 86.8 run defense grade ranks fourth among all edge rushers and is tied for 11th among all NFL defenders. That’s an area the Bengals desperately needed an upgrade this offseason.
For all the good Hendrickson did rushing the passer, his run defense could leave a lot to be desired. It’s part of why the defense faltered so much in recent years, despite Hendrickson being arguably the best pass rusher in football. At times, it was just too easy for opponents to run the ball when Hendrickson was on the field, but so far, Mafe is showing he can hold up well against the run and pass.
The Bengals will still need these pressures to turn into more sacks as the season wears on. Mafe has one sack so far after notching two last season, though he is getting pressure at a higher rate.
After getting pressure on 11.5% of his pass-rushing snaps last season, he’s up to 17.4% through two games this year. And his 85.3 PFF grade would be the highest of his five-year career, with the previous high at 75.1 in 2024.
Take away Tampa Bay’s pick-six in Week 1, and the Bengals defense has allowed just 26 points this season. Mafe has been a big part of that, and it’s starting to make people believe this team can make a run back to the Super Bowl.