Defensive end
Starters: Myles Murphy, Boye Mafe
Depth: Shemar Stewart, Cedric Johnson
Still could use: Rotational depth, or a rookie with real upside
Day 1 draft options: Ruben Bain, David Bailey, Keldric Faulk
The theme between Boye Mafe and defensive tackle Jonathan Allen is the idea that they both weren’t a part of scheme fits last season. While Allen was out of place on a blitzing oriented defense that didn’t let him pin his ears back as much, it sounds like the Seahawks were using Mafe as more of an outside linebacker who played more off of the line of scrimmage than he was used to.
“A lot of people question about me the production,” said Mafe, who had two sacks last season and was much more productive before a scheme change in 2024. “I understand that. But the thing is, the coaches saw the film. They saw what I could do on the field. They want to tap in and make sure that the pressure rate and all that turns into sacks.”
Signing Mafe shouldn’t take anything off the table in the draft. Just look back at the process that led the Bengals to drafting Shemar Stewart last year. The Bengals had bigger needs on paper, but the idea was that Stewart had the potential to become the most valuable option, factoring in his upside and positional value. You’d never gloss over a defensive end in the draft who has the ability to be a $25 million player one day, even if you have a fuller deck at that position (which the Bengals don’t have yet).
As for Stewart entering 2026, think back on the most important Bengals plays of the 2025 season. One of them was Cedric Johnson whiffing as a free rusher against Josh Allen on a play that resulted in a TD run. Johnson entered the season as the Bengals’ sixth defensive end. Your depth at this position shows up in the biggest moments, doubly so with Stewart because of his physical tools to rush inside.
Stewart has control of his own destiny. He has the ability to be whatever he wants to be.
“He needs a big offseason,” Jerry Montgomery said at the end of last season. “He needs a tremendous strength and conditioning (program) in the offseason. It’s got to be something he wants, not that I want. He has the size and strength to do whatever he wants. It’s just the willingness to want to learn and grow and be locked into the things we’re asking him to do. He can do whatever he wants. He can move all around. But it’s got to be something that he’s passionate about. If it’s not, then he’ll have to beat out other people on edges.”
A potential first-round pick this year would give the Bengals very strong pass rush ingredients that they’re building around, and the idea of adding a true potential ace at the position would be exciting.
They also simply need more depth. Johnson belongs on the roster, but he’d be DE4 right now. The unit needs some work. A rotational veteran role player could still fit into the mix.
Defensive tackle
Starters: BJ Hill, Jonathan Allen
Depth: TJ Slaton, Kris Jenkins, McKinnley Jackson
Still could use: Pass rush upside
Day 1 draft options: Peter Woods?
Assuming the Bengals draft a defensive tackle — Day 2 looks like a good place to find one this year — this should be the first time since 2022 that the Bengals aren’t scrounging the waiver wire in August for a role player at that position. Ideally, that Day 2 pick brings a bit more speed and quick twitch ability than the Bengals have in this mix right now. Ideally, that draft pick also provides some upside into the mix. Allen and Hill are 30, so DT is a long-term need.
Signing a midrange free agent option like Allen gives the Bengals a deeper room with three starting-caliber players. Allen is a true pro, and his rugged strength and physicality stand out. He does a lot of things well. Having both him and Hill in the mix will allow the Bengals to use their other defensive tackles in roles that suit their specific strengths. For example, it won’t force them to use Kris Jenkins on third downs as much this year because Allen and Hill can soak up the snaps around the other role players’ strengths.
I don’t see a game wrecking defensive tackle on this roster, but the depth will prevent defensive tackle from being asked to do things that they’re not good at in specific situations. The depth is better than it has been.
Jenkins has something to prove. He’d be competing with a Day 2 draft pick for one of four DT spots on the active game day roster. It hasn’t clicked yet for him. He’s also coming off of a season-ending injury.
Jerry Montgomery said about Jenkins in January, “He does a good job. He works hard. He does a decent job in the run game. He does a good job of communicating for us on third downs, not that he was an elite rusher, by any means. We missed him. He has good energy and good juice. There’s still growth to be had there.”
Montgomery said about Jackson, “He really has to take the next step so he can become a valuable asset. Otherwise, it’s going to be hard for him to get on the field.”
Woods should be in the Round 1 conversation if his pre-draft process goes well, but the Bengals will need more info on him (Al Golden just went to his Pro Day after all) as he continues to fall on major analyst’s draft boards.
Linebacker
Starters: Barrett Carter, Demetrius Knight
Depth: Joe Giles-Harris, Oren Burks, Shaka Heyward
Still could use: That combo linebacker and/or a starter
Day 1 draft option: Sonny Styles
The surprise of the offseason so far is that after Al Golden specifically outlined what the Bengals were looking to add at linebacker — “Somebody with a combo presence, I would prefer not to ask Demetrius to play on the line of scrimmage as much as we did” — the first week of free agency came and went without an addition.
At this point in free agency, the guys left on the board look to me like players who’d compete with Carter and Knight for starting spots, rather than players who’d step in as Day 1 every down players.
“(Carter and Knight) both have growth to do,” Al Golden said at the end of last season. “I keep reminding the staff of where Germaine (Pratt) was when I first got here in 2020 and where Logan (Wilson) was going into 2021. We’ve asked a lot of those guys. I see the flash plays. That gets me really excited. Then there are some plays where they have ping pong eyes, they’re not quite sure where their keys should be.”
The position probably won’t entirely fall on the young guys this year. There still has to be some sort of combo presence added into the mix. The Bengals just apparently weren’t going to spend starter level of cap ($8 million plus) on a player who’d fill that role (not an every down role).
Free agent and former Bengal Akeem Davis-Gaither is an experienced combo guy. After watching his Cardinals tape in 2025, he was a very serviceable player. He profiles as a good LB3 (the problem is there is no LB1 here, and Carter and Knight are trying to prove they can be LB2).
Other free agents like Bobby Wagner, Elandon Roberts and Bobby Okekere are dependable veteran starters. They could fit, but they haven’t been put in position to show the “combo” skill set that the Bengals keep talking about.
Styles will be one of the prospects we’ll be talking about a lot leading into the draft.
We’ll have all season to evaluate just how good Carter and Knight are going to be. Let’s end this section on a positive note.
Carter’s best moments last year took place when he got to show off his speed on rushes, blitzes and as a spy to hurry the quarterback (seven splash plays). He has underrated oomph in the phone booth (five splash plays), and he gets off of blocks well to make a play on the ball. He was also much better in the second half of the year at populating the ball as an extra hat for an impact tackle (four splash plays).
Knight popped with his ability to be a playmaker against screens, quarterback draws and plays where he needs to be patient at first before triggering quickly to the ball (five total splash plays). The biggest scheme change that helped the defense on third downs after the bye was using Knight on the line of scrimmage in packages that only had three defensive linemen, and Knight proved to be a versatile chess piece on third downs.
Cornerback
Starters: DJ Turner, Dax Hill
Depth: Jalen Davis, DJ Ivey, Josh Newton
Still could use: Starting nickel and CB4
Day 1 nickel draft options: Caleb Downs
Day 1 outside corner options: Mansoor Delane, Jermod McCoy
In the 11 personnel world of the NFL these days, you need a nickel corner who can win in man coverage. The Bengals love what Davis did last year, but he doesn’t bring enough in this area. He profiles as a backup next year.
A starting nickel corner is quietly one of the biggest needs on the roster. The Bengals could end up landing one like Caleb Downs (Day 1) or D’Angelo Ponds (Day 2) in the draft. Ideally, Dax Hill stays on the outside.
The sneakiest need on the roster is CB4. Corners get hurt every year, and Ivey and Newton have struggled as cover corners out wide in their careers (don’t discount the fact, though, that Ivey is elite against tight ends). Because of how big of a role your fourth corner always plays every season (DJ Turner was CB4 for the Bengals entering 2025) and how much of a premium position this is, a first-round corner is worth considering if players like Bailey, Bain, Down and Styles are off the board.
The starting outside corners, Hill and Turner, are the strength of the defense. But this is a critical position group, and half of the room needs work. That will likely require a mix of veteran depth and a draft pick or two.
While Downs may be listed as a safety, the plays on his college shape near the line of scrimmage and over the middle of the field showcase a versatility that could lend to him playing the slot in the NFL on early downs (he’d need to play a dime safety role on third downs with a backup cover corner entering the game to play the slot in those situations. That rotation would be worth it for a talent like Downs). He’s my favorite one of the first-round options right now.
Safety
Starters: Bryan Cook, Jordan Battle
Depth: Daijahn Anthony, PJ Jules
Still could use: One or two depth pieces
Free agent options: Tycen Anderson?
Cook brings an edge to the Bengals’ defensive backfield, and his tackling ability jumps off the screen.
“It starts with film study,” Cook said. “You have to. Every week is different. You have your basics, your eyes, your leverage, understanding we want to strike half a man. I’m not sure if anybody in here is familiar with boxing but the whole concept of boxing is to hit without getting hit. Same thing with football. How can I strike someone in the area that I can deliver a blow but not costing my body days in and days out?”
Looking at the depth, the Bengals didn’t show much confidence in Anthony on defense last season. He’d need a strong camp to get back into a notable depth role.
Special teams ace Tycen Anderson remains on the free agent board. The fact that the Bengals didn’t give him a shot until Week 18 at safety shows that he’d be lower on their safety depth chart. The Bengals have had success in the past drafting special teams oriented DBs on Day 3.
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An idea of a positional mock draft
Round 1: Edge/ Caleb Downs
Round 2: DT
Round 3: Slot corner/edge
Round 4: Outside CB
Round 6 (1): OLRound 6 (2): WR
Round 7 (1): DB/special teams
Round 7 (2): OL
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