And this is with two edge rushers in contract disputes.
As we progress through the dog days of summer, Pro Football Focus is busy ranking different position groups across the NFL. While they rank Trey Hendrickson among the top-10 edge rushers in the league, the Cincinnati Bengals’ defensive line on the whole ranks near the bottom.
PFF ranks their defensive line at No. 25:
“The Bengals generated pressure on only 27.7% of plays without blitzing in 2024, placing them 27th,” Zoltán Buday wrote. “Sam Hubbard‘s retirement did not help the unit, and while there is potential in the Trey Hendrickson–Shemar Stewart edge defender duo, the Bengals are currently in contract disputes with both the veteran and the rookie.
Veteran interior defender B.J. Hill continues to play at a high level and ranked 24th among interior defenders in PFF overall grade in 2024. However, neither of the other experienced interior defenders on Cincinnati’s roster ranked in the top 100 in 2024.”
The Bengals used the No. 17 overall selection on Shemar Stewart, but like Hendrickson, he has held out, opting not to participate with the team throughout OTAs or mandatory minicamp.
They did sign nose tackle T.J. Slaton this offseason to help shore up the defense against the run, and they have Kris Jenkins and McKinnley Jackson, both entering year two, hoping take a step forward in their careers. If they do, the team could have a relatively affordable and
There are currently a lot of unknowns for the Bengals’ defense, especially along the line. If Hendrickson and Stewart put pen to paper with the team, they could form a pretty nasty pass-rushing duo. If Jackson and Jenkins take a step, they could create some havoc in the center of the line. If Slaton plays well, he could fill the void left by DJ Reader.
Unfortunately, those are all pretty big “ifs, so we’ll just have to wait and see.
Where do you think they should be ranked?
