Joe Burrow says the Cincinnati Bengals have the best roster of his career, and on paper it’s hard to argue. The offense is bringing back all 11 starters, and the defense has been reinforced with multiple major additions. That kind of depth creates a very real squeeze for younger players trying to survive the cut to 53 and keep their roles intact.
That pressure lands hardest on a small group of recent draft picks heading into 2026 with plenty on the line. For some, it’s about proving they belong in the rotation. For others, it’s about simply hanging onto a job.
Andrei Iosivas is first on that list. The 2023 sixth-round pick looks close to a roster lock, but 2026 matters because it’s his contract year.
His first three seasons have had highs and lows: he’s made impact plays, earned Joe Burrow’s trust at times, and also dealt with drops in the middle of last year. With defenses keying on Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, the chances will be there.
Iosivas may never get the target volume to land a huge deal elsewhere in 2027, but this season will be the key measuring stick for any team deciding whether he belongs in its receiver mix.
Charlie Jones is in a different fight. The fourth-round pick from 2023, taken 73 spots ahead of Iosivas, has not developed into the receiving weapon the Bengals envisioned.
In three seasons, he has only eight catches for 69 yards, and injuries have played a part in that stalled production. He has flashed as a returner with both a kickoff return touchdown and a punt return touchdown, but even that job is no sure thing now that Isaiah Williams is in the mix.
If the roster were set today, Jones would probably be on the outside looking in. Training camp gives him a chance to change that, which makes his summer a pivotal one.
The stakes are just as high on the defensive line. Kris Jenkins, the highest-drafted player in this group, arrived as a 2024 second-round pick and has 4.5 career sacks, including three as a rookie.
Instead of moving into a bigger role, he now has to fight for a place after the Bengals added Jonathan Allen and Dexter Lawrence and with 2025 first-round pick Shemar Stewart likely moving inside on third down. Jenkins can still win not only a roster spot but a rotational role.
First, though, he has to show it in camp and preseason action.
McKinnley Jackson faces a similar kind of test, even if his role is different. Drafted in 2024 to be a run-stopping specialist, he has played in 22 games with one start over his first two seasons and has recorded 22 tackles and one sack.
A strong camp could help him prove the Bengals got the right player when they spent a third-round pick on him. It could also make T.J.
Slaton and his $9.2 million cap hit more expendable.
Then there’s Josh Newton, who may have the clearest opening and still the most to prove. Nickel corner is one of the thinnest spots on the roster, and that gives the 2024 fifth-round pick a real shot.
But his role shrank last season, falling from 44 percent of the defensive snaps as a rookie to 30 percent in year two. Veteran journeyman Jalen Davis, who is 30, is the only player standing between Newton and the starting job.
The addition of Kyle Dugger makes the picture murkier, and if Newton doesn’t land on the 53-man roster, he could still wind up on the practice squad because the Bengals are so thin at nickel. But if most of his third season ends up on the bench or the practice squad, the questions about a fourth year will start quickly.
In Other News...
Bengals Linked To A Familiar AFC North Back With Serious Risk
A backfield add-on is the kind of move that can quietly shape a season, and Cincinnati has been mentioned as a possible landing spot for a familiar AFC North runner coming off a difficult year. The idea, per a Bleacher Report note from Moe Moton, is not about handing anyone a starring role. It is about finding a cheaper, experienced option who could give the Bengals some insulation and help in the physical parts of the offense.
The appeal is easy to see from Cincinnati's side. A one-year deal would have to come well below what the veteran got on his last contract, and the usage would likely be defined by the spots where toughness matters most, especially around the goal line and on short-yardage snaps. For a team that knows the challenges of playing him twice a year in the division, the question is whether the risk is worth the possible payoff. [Read more 🡒]
This One Bengals Addition Could Decide The Defenses Ceiling
Cincinnati spent part of its offseason trying to stiffen a defense that needed more up front, and the move that stands out most is the addition of Boye Mafe. The former Seahawks edge rusher arrives with a Super Bowl ring, a track record of pressuring quarterbacks and the kind of contract that says the Bengals expect him to be more than just another rotation piece.
The reason Mafe matters so much is simple: for all the upgrades Cincinnati has made, there is still uncertainty around how much impact it will get off the edge. If Mafe looks like the player who posted nine sacks in 2023, the Bengals can talk about a higher defensive ceiling with a straight face. If not, that lingering concern at defensive end is going to hang over the unit for a while. [Read more 🡒]