Chase Brown is not tiptoeing around the Bengals’ defense anymore.
The Cincinnati running back, coming off his first 1,000-yard rushing season and showing real value as a receiver too, sounded fully convinced during an NFL Network interview that the unit across the ball is ready to turn the corner in a major way. Brown didn’t just talk about improvement. He put a ceiling on it, saying he sees a group that can finish among the league’s best.
“That’s an experienced group. To see what they’re doing this year, the amount of havoc they’re causing up front, the amount of pressure they’re putting on Joe…I feel comfortable saying this: That’s a top-10, top-five defense.
[…] What’s even more encouraging is the way that they’re playing together. The way that they interact with each other, the way that they’re communicating.
It’s really good to see.”
That kind of confidence is easier to understand when you look at how different this defense appears. Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter, both linebackers, have gone from being big unknowns to players who could make a real Year 2 jump. Up front, the defensive line has been reshaped and led by Dexter Lawrence, who has already looked overwhelming against an offensive line that brings back all five starters.
The safety situation is also getting a boost. Bryan Cook, who suffered a minor hamstring injury in Friday’s practice at Paycor Stadium, is expected to provide some much-needed steadiness to a room that has lacked it since Jessie Bates departed. His absence from Sunday’s practice was notable when Brown was delivering his bold assessment, especially since Cook wasn’t even out there.
Lawrence alone changes the math in the trenches. At 350 pounds, he can clog running lanes for a run defense that finished dead-last in 2025, and he brings pass-rush force from the interior too. Add Boye Mafe and Jonathan Allen into the mix, and Cincinnati suddenly has a lot more athleticism and pressure potential on the line than it’s had in years.
That’s why this no longer looks like a defense built around Trey Hendrickson and a whole lot of hoping. The unit has a chance to be far deeper, far sturdier at tackle, and far more disruptive than it has been in a long time.
The secondary has reasons for optimism too. Cook’s tackling fits well with Jordan Battle’s coverage ability at deep safety, while cornerbacks DJ Turner and Dax Hill, both extension candidates, give the Bengals one of the NFL’s better boundary duos.
Stack all of that together, and Brown’s comment starts to sound less like a wild camp soundbite and more like a real belief in what this group could become.
It’s also quite the shift from last year, when Brown let loose after Cincinnati’s 47-42 home loss to the Chicago Bears and ripped the defense in no uncertain terms. Now, his tone has changed completely.
So have the expectations around this unit.
In Other News...
Joe Burrow Getting Knocked Down Created A Bengals Practice Tension
A routine Bengals practice at Paycor Stadium got a little more attention than usual when the defense and offense collided in a way every team dreads. During a drill, a Bengals lineman was engaged with center Ted Karras when Joe Burrow ended up on the ground, a moment that briefly sharpened the focus on a session that otherwise kept moving at a steady pace.
Even so, the reaction around the field stayed measured, with teammates and coaches treating it like part of the work rather than a warning sign. Defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery acknowledged the effort on the play, and the team soon flipped practice directions, sending the backups through their series on the other side while the first-team moment passed without much drama. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Defense Just Got A Camp Sign Fans Needed
Training camp has delivered a small but meaningful update for a Bengals defense that spent the offseason trying to get sturdier across the board. Cincinnati has already added pieces to help on that side of the ball, and every bit of progress from the returnees matters because the units ceiling depends on getting more bodies back in the mix and back into football shape.
Shemar Stewart has been around the field while wearing a sleeve on his left leg, a sign the rookie is still working through his recovery. BJ Hill, meanwhile, has been edging closer to full participation, joining practice work in helmet and pads as the Bengals continue to monitor how quickly their defensive front can come together before the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Cashius Howell Is Forcing His Way Into The Bengals Pass Rush Plans
Cashius Howell arrived in Cincinnati with second-round expectations, but training camp has quickly given the Bengals reason to believe he can matter right away. The former Texas A&M edge rusher has stood out for his speed, explosiveness and strength, traits that have translated well against a Bengals offensive line still sorting through its summer work.
What has made Howell especially intriguing is how he has looked in a role that could expand sooner than planned. With Shemar Stewart sidelined, the Bengals need more from the edge group, and Howell has been pressing his case for a significant snap share on the defensive line. The early signs suggest he is doing more than just learning the defense - he is making it harder for the coaching staff to keep him off the field. [Read more 🡒]