The Cincinnati Bengals are coming off an extremely disappointing season that saw a 9-8 finish and players sitting at home for the postseason for the second straight year.
While quarterback Joe Burrow had a near-MVP performance on offense, the defense had its share of struggles across the board.
It's because of the defense that the Bengals were named one of the teams with the most work to do before the NFL Draft arrives by SI.
"The Bengals deserve a ton of credit for re-signing wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase, but that just kept their elite offense intact and did nothing for their poor defense. There's also the possibility of the team losing edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, who's in his second year of searching for a better contract. It wouldn't be a reach to say this defense doesn't have a young core player after years of the front office whiffing on draft picks.
"It will be vital for Duke Tobin, Cincinnati's director of player personnel, to hit on defensive draft picks this season because he's currently at risk of wasting another prime year of Joe Burrow's career with a defense that looks worse than last year and no longer has Lou Anarumo, who unfairly took the blame for the disastrous season on that side of the ball. Perhaps new defensive coordinator Al Golden can incorporate a productive scheme that doesn't require a handful of star players."
The Bengals' defense doesn't have to be a top-five or even a top 10 defense next season. It could be just not terrible and this team could go a long way.
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With the way the defense is currently constructed, it's hard to imagine that being the case unless some work is done before and during the upcoming NFL Draft.
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This story was originally published March 22, 2025 at 9:22 AM.