The Bengals pass rush in 2024 was almost the worse in the league and Malcolm Koonce could be a cheap option with huge upside
The Cincinnati Bengals have one of the best defensive ends in the league in Trey Hendrickson, but it is a bit of a one-man show, as he had over half of the team’s sacks.
With that in mind the team could use an infusion of talent at any position along the DL. With former first round pick Myles Murphy still also in the room, it could make sense for the Bengals to sign a defensive end on a one-year prove-it deal. This would improve the team for 2025 but also give them time to evaluate Murphy under new defensive coordinator Al Golden.
Arguably the best fit for such a role is Raiders defensive end Malcolm Koonce. The third-round pick from the 2021 NFL Draft was a backup his first two years in the league before exploding onto the scene in 2023 with 52 pressures on only 344 pass rush snaps.
Koonce looked like a possibly ascending player entering his fourth year, but that was cut short with an injury that would knock him out for the year. With the possibility of a big payday in his future, it would make sense for Koonce to take a one-year prove-it deal with a contender before trying to get a big long-term deal in 2026.
Malcolm Koonce
- Height: 6-foot-2
- Weight: 250
- Age: 27 (in June)
- Years Pro: 13
- College: Buffalo
- Hometown: Peekskill, New York
Background
Malcolm Koonce spent most of his high school days focusing on rugby, but eventually switched over to football as his main focus as he could get a college scholarship. After spending a year at a post-secondary school, he played college football at Buffalo.
Despite being a backup his first two years, he ended up being an all-MAC selection his third and fourth year before going on to be a third-round selection in the NFL Draft.
With the Raiders, Koonce was not given much of an opportunity until his third year. His role blossomed when Antonio Pierce became the interim head coach. In the first eight weeks of the season, he had 14 pressures.
But over the last nine weeks under Pierce, Koonce had 38, including a nine-pressure three-sack performance in a must-win game against the Chiefs.
Unfortunately, after such a strong finish to the year, Koonce would miss all of the 2024 season due to a knee injury.
In the 2025 season, he has as much to gain in terms of value as any player in the league.
What He Can Bring
In a time when the Bengals pass rush needs help, a big upside one-year deal makes all the sense in the world. Koonce is the kind of small investment, high-upside play that could really help the Bengals in their Super Bowl aspirations for 2025.
If his cost isn’t too high, which it shouldn’t be coming off half a season of production and then a season-ending injury, he can give the Bengals a pass-rushing upgrade across from Trey Hendrickson without breaking the bank, allowing them to address other needs in free agency as well.
Outlook
The Bengals need to add at least two and ideally three or four new players on their defensive line with the loss of Joseph Ossai, B.J. Hill, and Cam Sample, along with the cutting of Sheldon Rankins and the likely cutting of Sam Hubbard.
With the big contracts the team will need to give out to Tee Higgins, Ja’Marr Chase, and Trey Hendrickson, they will have to make those additions through the draft and free agency.
Adding someone like Koonce raises the floor and ceiling of the pass rush without costing the Bengals any of their three stars or limiting the possible long-term development of Myles Murphy.
