The Cincinnati Bengals made a lot of roster moves this offseason, bringing in a lot of talent on the defensive side of the ball in pursuit of a Super Bowl title.
One of the biggest issues has been the defense, and specifically the defensive line. Dexter Lawrence was a huge trade pick-up, and even after losing Trey Hendrickson, the team added Boye Mafe and Cashius Howell this offseason.
But, Connor Orr of Sports Illustrated is predicting that Bengals 2023 first-rounder Myles Murphy will have a breakout 2026 season and earn a second contract with Cincinnati in a scenario that would be a dream-come-true for the Bengals.
Bengals' Myles Murphy prediction would be dream-come-true
"Myles Murphy will play his way into a second contract with the Bengals," Orr predicts. "Cincinnati recently declined the fifth-year option on its 2023 first-round pick, but Murphy... will finally find a home in a deeper, rotational Bengals defense."
After spending a first-round pick on Murphy a few years ago, the defensive lineman has not lived up to that billing, as he's struggled to provide much pass-rush upside.
But this past season, he recorded 5.5 sacks with 52 tackles, six tackles for loss, and 10 quarterback hits with three passes defended, all of which were career highs.
Important context to those statistics is that in the final nine games of the season, he recorded 4.0 sacks, 37 tackles, five tackles for loss, and eight quarterback hits.
MORE: Bengals fans should worry about second-year linebackers in 2026
Murphy was finally coming into his own as the season began to wrap up, and if he can carry that momentum over into 2026, a solid season might be on his horizon.
With Orr predicting that Murphy will have a good enough season to earn a second contract from the Bengals, that would mean he has a very strong 2026 season, likely the best of his career, and finally starts living up to the first-round billing.
He is only 24 years old, so a breakout in 2026 would not be too surprising. It might've taken a few years, but if Murphy could break out enough to warrant the Bengals signing him to a second contract, it would be a dream-come-true for the Bengals.
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