Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase will still dominate the conversation around the Bengals, but Cincinnati’s season may hinge on a much less flashy name: Demetrius Knight Jr.
That’s because the real question in Cincinnati isn’t whether the offense can score. It’s whether a defense that finished 30th last year can become something sturdier, faster and far less easy to pick apart. And if that turnaround happens, Knight could be right in the middle of it.
Cincinnati took Knight in the second round of the 2025 Draft, 49th overall, and he didn’t need long to force his way onto the field. The trade of Logan Wilson and the release of Germaine Pratt opened the door, and Knight walked through it immediately, appearing in all 17 games and starting 14 of them.
By the end of the season, the numbers told a clear story. According to the Bengals’ official statistics, Knight posted 106 tackles, 55 of them solo, along with three sacks, seven passes defended, one forced fumble and two interceptions.
Both picks came in the Cincinnati red zone. Pro Football Reference listed him at 73% of the Bengals’ defensive snaps, which is not the kind of workload a player gets by accident.
That kind of production matters, but the next step matters more.
Cincinnati doesn’t just need linebackers who can pile up tackles. It needs one in the middle who can read the play quickly, sort out assignments, pressure the quarterback and help clean up the kind of short gains that turned into bigger problems too often last year. Strong linebacker play can steady the run defense, protect the underneath areas in coverage and force offenses into tougher passing downs.
Right now, Knight is listed alongside Barrett Carter, another second-year linebacker, and that makes their growth even more important to what Cincinnati is trying to build.
The challenge for Knight isn’t volume. He already proved he can produce.
The issue is impact. There’s a difference between making a tackle after an 8-yard gain and stopping a run for 1 yard.
Cincinnati needs more of Knight’s stops to end drives, not just fill the stat sheet.
His rookie season hinted at a player with range. Three sacks, seven pass breakups and two interceptions show a linebacker who can do more than chase the ball. The task now is turning those flashes into something the Bengals can count on every week.
If Knight takes that leap, the effect could reach every level of the defense.
Against the run, quicker recognition would help him close interior gaps and keep Cincinnati out of second-and-short. Better tackling would also let the defensive line attack more aggressively.
In coverage, his two interceptions and seven pass defenses suggest he can hold his own. That will matter in the AFC North, where Baltimore brings a mobile quarterback, Pittsburgh has an experienced one, and Cleveland remains a wild card with quarterbacks who can threaten on the run or scramble. Improvement here would help cut down completions over the middle.
As a blitzer, Knight already showed some juice with those three sacks. Cincinnati could use that ability creatively to take pressure off the edge rushers and make its front harder to predict.
And there’s the communication piece, which can’t be overlooked with so many young defenders in the mix. A reliable middle linebacker helps line up the front and the secondary, and that kind of steadiness can spread across the entire unit.
Knight doesn’t need to become a stat machine for this to work. He doesn’t need 150 tackles or some huge headline-grabbing leap.
He just needs to become more efficient against the run, more reliable in coverage and more disruptive near the line of scrimmage. Cincinnati could improve a lot on defense without his raw totals changing much.
But if he stays merely productive, the Bengals may still be asking Burrow and the offense to carry too much. That would leave them vulnerable over the middle, shaky on third down and leaning on a young secondary that would keep facing extra pressure.
Everyone already knows what Burrow can do and what Chase can do. The bigger swing might come from the player who can make the defense connect.
Knight already showed he belongs. Year two will show whether he can become the kind of presence that makes everyone around him better.
If Cincinnati’s defense becomes the reason the Bengals make a championship run instead of the reason they fall short, Knight could be the player at the center of it.
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 🡒]