The dirty little secret about the 2023 Cincinnati Bengals season was that Joe Burrow’s injury wasn’t really what doomed them. With the defense playing as poorly as it did, they weren’t winning anything regardless.
The defense had to improve. It had to change. It has to look different.
After a fourth consecutive season with multiple premium draft picks dedicated to that side of the ball and a significant move with a previous first-round pick, the alterations have been swift and aggressive.
This will break down each position group by those on the roster and draft picks but doesn’t include any reported undrafted free agents as that won’t be official until they sign and take physicals at rookie minicamp on May 10.
Read what the Bengals staff thinks about elements of each position group and take a closer look at where the competition has evolved or remaining needs emerged.
After diving into the offensive side Monday, here’s how the draft and offseason reshaped the roster for coordinator Lou Anarumo. Free-agent additions are in italics and drafted rookies are in bold.
Edge rushers (5)
Starters: Sam Hubbard, Trey Hendrickson
Backups: Myles Murphy, Joseph Ossai, Cam Sample
Outside the 53: Cedric Johnson (6th), Jeffrey Gunter
Analysis: Hendrickson’s trade request fell on deaf ears and nobody really took it seriously. Hendrickson will play for the Bengals next year and that’s the expectation from all sides. Nobody on the planet — including Hendrickson — thinks he would actually retire. What Hendrickson and Hubbard might do is clear the way for Murphy to play more. The 2023 first-round pick says his offseason focus was getting his technique and instincts at the same level from both edge spots. More snaps are coming as coaches saw the light come on late last year. It’s hard to imagine many third-and-long situations this year without Murphy firing off the edge.
2023 first-round pick Myles Murphy should play a more significant role for the Bengals this season. (Katie Stratman / USA Today)
Quote of note
Head coach Zac Taylor on Hendrickson’s trade request: “You let Trey voice his concerns. I’m listening. I’ve got an open ear to him. I love Trey. I’ve told Trey that. We want Trey to play here next year for us. He’s gonna play here next year for us. He’s gonna have success, and we’re gonna have success and I’m excited for that.”
GO DEEPER
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Defensive tackles (5)
Starters: Sheldon Rankins, B.J. Hill
Backups: Kris Jenkins (2nd), McKinnley Jackson (3rd), Zach Carter
Outside the 53: Jay Tufele, Domenique Davis, Travis Bell, Devonnsha Maxwell
Analysis: Free agency was challenging and frustrating in trying to find answers while enduring the loss of D.J. Reader to Detroit. In response to the flop in free agency the Bengals centered all attention on making the draft fix the problem for them. They brought in all potential nose guard picks on visits. They did the same with the best of the top of the draft, including Jenkins, who might be the cleanest prospect in recent Bengals draft history from a football character standpoint. They came away with two players they most targeted. They have a solid five-man rotation with Carter still hanging around with hopes the light comes on for him this year.
Quote of note
Anarumo on why he was drawn to Jenkins and the role he’ll assume:
“I just like everything about his game. He’s a tough, tough run defender. He’s got great football instincts. As Zac already mentioned, he brings leadership. He’s been a captain, I think second-team All-American, just a tough guy overall and plays the game the right way. We see him as a three-down player. He’s already shown that in college at a high level. Right now he’ll be slotted in to rotate in with the other guys, and we’re very excited to have him.”
Party crashers @macfrmGSF_ and @KrisJenkinsJr1 drop by the war room. pic.twitter.com/uCrrrcl849
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) April 27, 2024
Linebackers (5)
Starters: Logan Wilson, Germaine Pratt
Backups: Akeem Davis-Gaither, Joe Bachie, Devin Harper
Outside the 53: Shaka Heyward
Analysis: It’s surprising to see none of the late-round picks used on a linebacker. Four picks in the final two rounds seemed ideal to lock up a back-of-the-roster prospect with a fit for special teams. One of the philosophical questions of the preseason will focus on how many linebackers should be active on game day with the new kick return rules. The play appears to lend itself more to linebackers with a focus on athletic tackling like a run play. If that’s the case, the Bengals might need to drop into the free-agent market. At the very least it makes sense to see free agent Markus Bailey brought back on a one-year contract in the near future.
Quote of note
Director of player personnel Duke Tobin on if he felt disappointed at linebacker or that Wilson and Pratt took a step back last year:
“I don’t know if they took a step back. I mean, defensively it wasn’t as good as we’ve been accustomed to seeing as a group and there were pieces missing, there were new guys at different positions. I think those guys are always going to try to do too much and perhaps it was a little bit of that. I don’t fear that they have hit a wall or anything. I think those two are fine football players and they’re going to be really good football players for us and maybe we have to be a little bit stronger around them.”
GO DEEPER
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Cornerbacks (6)
Starters: Cam Taylor-Britt, DJ Turner, Mike Hilton
Backups: Dax Hill, Josh Newton (5th), DJ Ivey
Outside the 53: Jalen Davis, Allan George
Analysis: The plan for Hill has been revealed, or at least now official after the Bengals waited until the fifth round to select a corner. Hill will enter the mix in a competition with Turner for the starting outside spot and then see how it shakes out from there. He likely ends up the first off the bench if either Turner or Hilton goes down as well as a dime defensive back brought on to cover tight ends on passing downs. Taylor didn’t rule him out as competing and winning a starting spot, though. His progress will be one of the most interesting aspects of OTAs.
Dax Hill will move from safety to cornerback this season. (Katie Stratman / USA Today)
Ivey is recovering from his ACL injury, but he likely will be able to return in some capacity during training camp. Newton enters the mix as a solid fifth corner already declaring himself a “Swiss army knife” in his conference call. On top of flashes of great play and top-tier football fabric, he’ll be given every opportunity to make a name for himself in camp. The Hill move could mean trouble for Davis, who has assumed the reserve slot role for three years.
Quote of note
Anarumo on the Hill move:
“I love the guy, I love everything about him, but we’re going to see and stretch his sea legs, and see where he’s at when he gets back here, and put him in a number of different spots, and see what fits him best and us.”
Safeties (4)
Starters: Geno Stone, Vonn Bell
Backups: Jordan Battle, Tycen Anderson
Outside the 53: Daijahn Anthony (7th)
Analysis: Competition exists at both levels as the Bengals’ overhaul of the weak link of the 2023 defense has been completed. We know for sure Stone will be a starter. The rest will play out over the next three months. Bell was brought in for stability, leadership and knowledge of the system. He can still play, though. He performed well in Carolina last year and if I’m guessing today, I’d say he holds down the starting job over Battle. That’s not a knock on Battle, who took a significant step in his rookie season, merely about trust between the coordinator and one of his favorite players to help get the train back on the tracks.
Elsewhere, Anderson will need to stave off Anthony for the fourth spot. He excelled on special teams before his injury last year and even enjoyed a spectacular preseason debut with two interceptions, including a pick six. It’s hard to see him being displaced, so that will be an uphill battle for Anthony.
Quote of note
Bell on how Anarumo was a primary reason he came back to Cincinnati:
“Lou for sure. He said, ‘What are we doing?’ That’s my guy, man. We have a connection and a bond that will last forever. Just hearing his voice made me calm down.”
(Top photo of Kris Jenkins: Nic Antaya / Getty Images)
