Despite having only six picks, the Bengals are depending on their 2025 Draft selections to step up and make an immediate impact. Let’s talk about what they did in Week 1.
Shemar Stewart didn’t record a sack or even a tackle in this game, but his presence was obvious. Stewart brought burst and explosion off the edge opposite sack-champion Trey Hendrickson. I was not impressed with him as a run defender. He made them vulnerable on the edge on a few occasions. He will need to learn how to set a stronger edge.
The pass game was a different story. He affected the pocket regularly and showed why the Bengals made him their number one pick. The sacks will come. As we saw in Week 1, the Bengals are not being shy about getting him on the field. With reps, he will get better and more productive.
Like the rest of the Bengals’ defensive starters, Demetrius Knight had me scared with his preseason performance. In August’s games, he did not look like he was ready for prime time.
A very different Demetrius Knight took the field in Cleveland. Knight looked fast, both with his feet and his brain. He was flying around the field and getting involved in everything. In fact, he led the team in solo tackles with 10. Not bad for his first pro game. He looked excellent as a tackler and did not let the ball carrier fall forward.
Knight had one coverage snap where he got turned around and allowed a reception for a first down. He instantly bounced back with a pass breakup on the very next snap. Rookie linebackers often have a tough road, but Knight demonstrated the resilience he is going to need this season.
Barrett Carter saw some action at linebacker as well. He managed 2 solo tackles and one assist on limited defensive snaps. The speed was obvious when he was on the field, and his processing was on par with his veteran partner Oren Burks.
Dylan Fairchild played well overall, particularly in the run game early on. The sheer volume of drop-back passes got to him eventually, and he had some struggles like the rest of the offensive line. Overall, it was a very promising first outing for the former Georgia Bulldog.
Jalen Rivers and Tahj Brooks didn’t see any action on offense, but Brooks still managed to flash with an impressive kickoff tackle.
And speaking of special teams, we cannot forget William Wagner. The rookie long snapper was flinging frozen ropes all afternoon and making his presence known in punt coverage as well.
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