Two Bengals names landed just outside the NFL Top 100, and neither omission makes much sense if you’re measuring actual production instead of reputation. Tee Higgins checked in at 109, while Dexter Lawrence came in at 105, a pair of placements that feel more like oversights than evaluations.
The league’s official X account rolled out the 10 players who just missed the cut, and Cincinnati showed up twice in the group:
- Tyler Warren
- Tee Higgins
- Brian Branch
- Devon Witherspoon
- Jameson Williams
- Dexter Lawrence
- Chris Lindstrom
- C.J.
Stroud
102.
Lane Johnson
101.
Mike Evans
C.J. Stroud being listed above Higgins and Lawrence is the part that really sticks out.
Stroud has regressed over the last two seasons, even though he has won a playoff game in each of those three postseasons. He also threw four interceptions in a Divisional Round loss to the Patriots.
That’s a tough sell over either Bengal.
Higgins’ case is built on impact, not hype. Injuries have played a role in his recent seasons - he dealt with concussion issues last year and missed five games the year before - but when he’s on the field, the production has been obvious. He tied for sixth in 2024 with 10 touchdown catches, then added 11 more this past year.
That gives him 21 receiving touchdowns over that stretch, fourth in the league behind only Ja’Marr Chase, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Davante Adams, who ranked 53rd on the latest NFL Top 100.
Higgins did that in seven fewer games and with 106 fewer targets than St. Brown, who ranked 20th last year and could climb even higher soon.
If Higgins gets a healthy 16 or 17 games in 2026 and Joe Burrow stays upright, there’s every reason to think he can push for the league lead in receiving touchdowns. That’s the level he’s operating at.
Lawrence’s omission is just as jarring for a different reason. If Cincinnati’s run defense improves the way people expect with him at nose tackle, he should be an easy candidate to move up next year. But the bigger point is that he already belongs in this conversation.
He draws double teams, he can rush the passer as a 350-pound force, and he swallows space against the run. That combination makes him a true difference-maker in the middle of the line. With Burrow and Cincinnati’s offense taking pressure off him, Lawrence won’t be asked to carry the same burden he handled with the New York Giants.
A better environment, fresher legs, and a less punishing week-to-week load could set him up for his third All-Pro team. The Bengals traded the 10th overall pick for him and have him under a team-friendly contract through 2028, which only raises the stakes for what comes next.
Lawrence also appears to have already taken on a leadership role since arriving from the Giants, and he was prepared to push back on any talk of a down year in 2025. Based on this list, some of his peers seem to think the decline is real. The 2026 season should answer that pretty quickly.
In Other News...
Bengals Camp Just Raised A New Concern In The Secondary
The Bengals got through a physical training camp practice without the usual camp-side drama, but the real story was in the way the secondary kept showing up around the football. Safeties Kyle Dugger and Russ Yeast, along with cornerbacks Brayln Lux and Dax Hill, all turned in noticeable moments during a session that featured plenty of contact and a more business-like feel than the average August workout.
Still, the safety group is starting to carry a little more intrigue because of who was not out there. Isaiah Nwokobia was missing from practice and working through rehab on the side field, joining a list of Bengals sidelined by injury or recovery work that also included B.J. Hill, Eric Kattus and Shemar Stewart. For a defense trying to sort itself out in camp, any absence in the back end can make the competition feel a little less settled than it did a few days ago. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Built A Defense Joe Burrow Can Finally Trust
The Bengals spent the offseason trying to change the feel of their roster from the inside out, and two of the bigger additions have already drawn league-wide attention. ESPN analyst Matt Bowen included Dexter Lawrence II and Bryan Cook among his 50 most impactful offseason additions for 2026, with Lawrence landing all the way up at fourth and Cook coming in at 40th. Lawrence arrived in a trade from the Giants, while Cook joined in free agency, giving Cincinnati a pair of defenders the team believes can raise the floor on that side of the ball.
For Joe Burrow, the appeal goes beyond names on a list. He has already praised Lawrences impact and pointed to the way the defense has improved around him, which matters for a team trying to keep pace in a loaded AFC. Cincinnati has spent plenty of time over the years talking about offensive firepower, but this feels different, with the front office clearly betting that a sturdier defense can make the Bengals more complete when the games start to matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Camp Debate Keeps Growing Around One Thin Position Group
As training camp rolls into its second week, the Bengals still have not brought in a veteran linebacker, and the conversation around that spot is only getting louder. It is the kind of roster question that tends to hover over camp when a team is trying to sort out whether it has enough proven depth in a position group that can quickly show its cracks.
NFL.coms recent look at available options pointed to Kyle Van Noy as a name that could make sense, citing his experience and recent production, while Bobby Wagner also came up as another high-profile possibility. Cincinnati has not made that move yet, but the longer the market sits there, the more the discussion feels like one of the camps lingering debates rather than a passing thought. [Read more 🡒]