The Cincinnati Bengals have made some big strides in recent years-Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, a revamped secondary-but when it comes to drafting defensive linemen, the results have been, frankly, underwhelming. And that’s not just fan frustration talking. Even former players are chiming in, including ex-linebacker Germaine Pratt, who recently took to social media to call out the team’s struggles in the trenches.
Now, you could chalk up Pratt’s comments to sour grapes after his offseason departure, but the numbers back him up. The Bengals' track record of drafting impact defensive linemen over the past two decades is thin-very thin.
Let’s put it in perspective. Since 2000, outside of Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap-both mid-round gems who became Pro Bowl-caliber players-the Bengals have only drafted one defensive lineman who’s reached double-digit sacks in a season: Michael Johnson.
He hit that mark once, then never topped five sacks again in any year after. That’s it.
One guy. In over two decades.
And it’s not just about sacks. We know defensive linemen impact the game in more ways than just getting to the quarterback-run defense, gap control, creating pressure even without the sack.
But even by those standards, Cincinnati hasn’t exactly built a wall up front through the draft. Most of their interior linemen have either failed to earn second contracts or faded into obscurity after a few seasons.
Sam Hubbard is probably the best homegrown example in recent years. He’s been a reliable presence on the edge, especially against the run, but he’s not exactly a game-wrecker in the pass rush department.
Joseph Ossai has shown flashes, but injuries and inconsistency have kept him in a rotational role. As for Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart, the jury’s still out.
Both were high draft picks with big-time potential, but they haven’t made a major impact just yet.
Here’s the kicker: the Bengals’ best defensive linemen in recent years weren’t drafted by the team at all. Trey Hendrickson, DJ Reader, BJ Hill, and Larry Ogunjobi-each of them came in via free agency or trade.
Hendrickson has been a sack machine. Reader was the anchor in the middle before his recent departure.
Hill’s been steady, and Ogunjobi brought energy and interior push when healthy. None of them were Bengals draft picks.
That kind of reliance on outside acquisitions to shore up the defensive front isn’t inherently a bad thing-teams build in different ways-but when you consistently miss in the draft at such a critical position, it raises questions. And in most organizations, a pattern like that would trigger some serious soul-searching in the front office.
But this is Cincinnati. The Bengals operate differently.
Owner Mike Brown and Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin have long favored continuity over upheaval. That philosophy has its merits-stability, a clear vision-but it also means that misfires in the draft don’t always lead to change.
As the Bengals look to capitalize on their Super Bowl window with Burrow under center, fixing the defensive line through the draft has to become more than just a hope. It needs to be a priority.
Because relying on free agents to plug the gaps only works for so long. Eventually, you have to hit on your picks.
And right now, the Bengals are still searching for that next homegrown disruptor up front.