The dominant young core of the past few years is not so young anymore.
Since 2021, the Cincinnati Bengals have built a roster that dominated the under-25 rankings for quite a few years.
Now that these young guns have been around for a while, they aren’t so young anymore.
With that being said, the younger guys that have come into Cincinnati recently have not wowed any national media outlets, and the franchise now finds themselves at the bottom of the pack with this year’s ranking.
The Bengals have slowly dropped down the list after coming in at 17 last season, with Ja’Marr Chase, Chase Brown, and Cam Taylor-Britt all graduating.
The top player the Bengals currently hold in this ranking is hopeful franchise right tackle Amarius Mims.
Aaron Schatz of ESPN was very clear as to why the Bengals have slipped:
“Let’s start the Bengals off with last year’s first-round pick, Mims. He started 13 games in 2024 and turns 23 in mid-October. Defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr. also has an October birthday, but he’ll be 24. Second-round linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. is already 25 years old, but first-round edge rusher Shemar Stewart is only 21 and third-round guard Dylan Fairchild is 22. The Bengals also have a bunch of guys who are 24 years old and saw time on the field last season. They aren’t necessarily starters, but they’re useful players. That includes cornerbacks Josh Newton and DJ Turner, safety Jordan Battle and injured tight end Erick All Jr. Nickelback Dax Hill, 24, started only five games in 2024 because of a torn ACL but will be back this season.”
It will be interesting to see what the new young guys can do this upcoming season and how much they can help flip some of those losses from last season to wins this year.
The Bengals will need help from their draft picks to ensure their shot at getting back into postseason play.
