The Cincinnati Bengals do not need their defense to become a juggernaut in 2026. With Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins still driving the offense, even a move from the bottom tier into the middle of the pack would change the look of this team in a hurry.
But the front office clearly wasn’t settling for “good enough” when it revamped the defense this offseason. Cincinnati brought in multiple proven starters and traded pick No. 10 overall for Dexter Lawrence, signaling a much bigger swing. That’s part of why one national analyst is betting on a dramatic leap.
CBS Sports’ Douglas Clawson went all in, projecting the Bengals as the NFL’s No. 1 defense and the AFC’s top seed in his bold predictions for every team. He framed it as a massive rise rather than a modest step forward, calling for Cincinnati to go “from 31st to first in points allowed.”
That would be a stunning climb after the Bengals gave up 28.9 points per game in 2025 and 180.9 total yards per game. A jump all the way to No. 1 in one season would be historic.
Clawson’s optimism starts with the names the Bengals added. He highlighted Lawrence, Boye Mafe, Kyle Dugger, Jonathan Allen, and Bryan Cook as players who “will bring an edge to this defense.” He also expects former first-round picks Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart to finally provide “production off the edge.”
Murphy posted a career-high 5.5 sacks last season and led Cincinnati in that category, but the team declined his fifth-year option, making 2026 a major proving ground. Stewart is heading into his second season after the Bengals selected him with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Linebacker remains a young group, with Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter both entering their second seasons. Both flashed as rookies, but their growth into dependable every-down players will matter a lot for defensive coordinator Al Golden.
The Bengals don’t need Clawson’s prediction to hit in full to stay in the mix. If the defense simply becomes average and Burrow plus the offense stay healthy and on schedule, Cincinnati should be right in the AFC playoff picture.
Still, if this unit gets anywhere close to No. 1, Clawson’s AFC-leading forecast may not sound nearly as outrageous by the time December rolls around.
In Other News...
Former Bengals Are Suddenly Fighting For NFL Jobs Again
The first wave of NFL roster cuts put a few familiar former Bengals back in the churn, with teams across the league trimming down to their Week 1 group and several ex-Cincinnati players landing on the wrong side of the numbers game. Safety Geno Stone, guard Cordell Volson and defensive end Khalid Kareem were among the names released, while others with Bengals ties found at least a temporary landing spot as practice squads began to take shape.
Cameron Sample and Bobby Hart were among the former Cincinnati players who surfaced on practice squads, a reminder of how quickly the margins tighten once the league moves from training camp to the regular season. For players with roster experience already behind them, the challenge now is simple but unforgiving: stay ready, stay visible and wait for the next opening. [Read more 🡒]
Joe Burrows Bengals Just Got Hit With A Contender Reality Check
The Bengals still have the kind of skill-position talent that keeps them in the conversation every season, but a recent poll of NFL executives from The Athletic served as a reminder that reputation only goes so far. The roster is built around Joe Burrow and a passing game that can stress any defense, yet the same conversation keeps circling back to the trenches and whether Cincinnati can do enough up front to make the offense more balanced.
Even with the same starting offensive line back in place, league observers are still uneasy about the teams ability to run the ball and keep Burrow clean. There are also lingering questions about the defensive scheme, and in a recent AFC pecking order, Cincinnati landed seventh. For a team expecting to be treated like a contender, that is the sort of outside skepticism that tends to hang around until September starts answering it. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Enter 2026 With The Pressure Fans Can Feel
The Bengals are heading into the new NFL season with the kind of attention that comes from both expectation and unease. After a difficult previous season, Cincinnati still has the pieces to draw eyes, and ESPNs ranking of the team as the seventh most watchable and exciting in the league reflects how much interest remains around the franchise. A big part of that comes from the familiar triangle at the center of everything: Zac Taylor on the sideline, Joe Burrow under center and ownership watching it all unfold.
What keeps this from feeling like a simple bounce-back story is the pressure sitting on the roster around them, especially on defense, where improvement is still a clear need. ESPN pointed to Dexter Lawrence II as a key player to watch, another reminder that the Bengals path forward is about more than Burrows health or the offenses ceiling. The intrigue in Cincinnati is obvious, but so is the demand for answers once the season starts to test how much progress this group can really make. [Read more 🡒]