There’s a newfound hope for the Cincinnati Bengals that the defense will be improved enough in 2025 that Joe Burrow’s offense can at least carry it kicking and screaming to the playoffs, if necessary.
But when zooming out and looking at the moves the team made this offseason and how it all might come together, outsiders don’t necessarily agree.
One prominent example is Kyle Soppe of Pro Football Network, who still ranks the unit 28th overall in offseason projections:
“Remember in 2022 when this looked like a franchise with balance and staying power? They were our 11th-best defense that season and trending toward the elite tier of the conference, but with 27th and 28th Defense+ finishes since, Cincinnati has looked more like a one-trick pony over the past two years than a legitimate threat to the top tier of the AFC.”
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It’s an earned rank, for now. The Bengals swapped out coordinator Lou Anarumo for Al Golden and will go with a sweeping youth movement across the unit.
Out are mainstays like Sam Hubbard, Mike Hilton and Germaine Pratt. In are rookies, including linebacker Demetrius Knight likely starting next to Logan Wilson. The team is content to roll with Jordan Battle and Geno Stone at safety again. And when it comes to pass rush, Trey Hendrickson is holding out, so is first-rounder Shemar Stewart and former first-rounder Myles Murphy remains a question mark. So does most of a boom-or-bust cornerback room.
While just good enough isn’t an admirable thing to shoot for, the Bengals hope that’s what they can do. Ideally, that would mean ranking above the 28th spot.
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