The Bengals have built a roster that looks ready to push forward, and the headline additions - Dexter Lawrence II and Bryan Cook - are expected to make a major impact right away. But the players who may end up mattering just as much are the ones who were already in the building.
Three names stand out as the most underrated pieces on Cincinnati’s roster: Orlando Brown Jr., T.J. Slaton, and Erick All.
Brown has taken his share of heat from fans and media, and not without reason. There are still snaps where he can get exposed on an island. Even so, he has given the Bengals a steadier presence at left tackle than they had in the post-Andrew Whitworth years.
His 2024 season was shaping up to be the best of his NFL career as a pass-blocker before a broken leg cut it short midway through the year. Before the injury, he never dipped below a 66.5 PFF grade in pass protection. He tried to play through the issue, then came back last season and handled the full schedule, though the performance came with some uneven stretches.
The strongest signs were there when Joe Burrow returned in Weeks 13 and 14. Brown posted back-to-back pass-blocking grades above 90, per PFF, and turned in a career-best 91.5 mark against the Ravens.
There’s also a real chance he was still working back from the leg injury while building chemistry with rookie left guard Dylan Fairchild. For Cincinnati, he remains a key piece.
Slaton is the kind of player some people might be too quick to move on from after the trade of Dexter Lawrence. That would miss the point. He’s the sort of depth piece every good defensive line needs.
Last season, Slaton made his presence felt as a run defender, especially when fighting through combo blocks and double-teams. He isn’t going to be a high-end pass-rush threat from nose tackle, but he still produced a career-high three sacks from that spot.
He fits well next to Dexter Lawrence at nose tackle and can also be used as an extra body against the run in goal-line situations. That kind of depth can pay off over the course of a season, and Slaton has the look of a player who could come up with a huge stop in a tight game late in the year if he’s on the field for Lawrence.
Then there’s Erick All, who still has a chance to become the future at tight end for the Bengals.
Injuries have followed him from college to the pros. A torn ACL in his right knee pushed him down to the fourth round, where Cincinnati selected him, and then during what had been a very promising rookie year, he tore that same ACL again. This time, the repair required multiple surgeries.
Now, heading into the 2026 season, All is healthy and trying to carve out his role in a crowded tight end room that now includes Jack Endries.
Even before the injury, All showed why the Bengals were intrigued. He brought real versatility as a rookie, blocking well in-line and offering value as a receiver. The coaches have continued to trust him, even after such a serious setback.
With Mike Gesicki and Drew Sample not offering the same kind of versatility, All has a path to meaningful playing time this fall. If he can pick up where he left off before the ACL tear in 2024, he could end up giving Cincinnati another useful playmaker alongside Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
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Why Erick All Could Change Everything For The Bengals Offense
The Bengals are heading into 2026 with unusual continuity on offense, bringing back all 11 starters along with key backups, and that stability makes Erick All one of the more intriguing pieces on the board. The tight end missed last season because of knee injuries, but ESPNs analysts singled him out as a player who could give Cincinnati a different kind of dimension, one rooted in his ability to contribute as both a blocker and a receiver.
For a team that has already shown it can move the ball, the appeal is less about adding flash than about adding balance. Cincinnati plans to bring All along carefully because of his injury history, but if he settles in the way the Bengals hope, he could become a useful answer in the run game and a quietly important part of an offense trying to take another step. [Read more 🡒]
Cincinnati Chili Dogs Are Battling For Queen City Bragging Rights
The Great American Tailgate challenge has moved into Round 2, and Cincinnati chili dogs are still carrying the Queen City flag in a bracket built to celebrate the food traditions of all 32 NFL cities. The USA TODAY and Pro Football Hall of Fame partnership has turned tailgating into a national food fight, and the Bengals entry is now matched up against Eastern Carolina pulled pork as fans keep the regional pride contest rolling.
Supporters can vote daily on the SQWAD platform, with each vote also sending them into a drawing for a $1,000 Pro Football Hall of Fame merchandise gift card. It is the kind of off-field competition Bengals fans can sink their teeth into, especially with Cincinnatis signature dish still alive and looking to keep its run going in a bracket where every round brings a new test. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Secondary Just Earned The Kind Of Respect Fans Wanted
The league keeps tilting toward bigger personnel groupings and more tight ends, which has made safety play matter in a way that goes beyond the usual back-end cleanup work. In that context, the Bengals have a tandem that looks a lot more relevant than it might have a year ago, with Jessie Bates paired alongside Justin Cook after Cook came home to Cincinnati on a three-year deal following his time with the Chiefs.
Cook brings a veteran resume and the kind of versatility teams need when offenses keep forcing safeties into different jobs on the same drive. Bates, meanwhile, has become the kind of steady presence Cincinnati wanted in the middle of the defense, and the bigger question now is how much more the Bengals can get out of that pairing as the rest of the AFC keeps loading up on matchup problems. [Read more 🡒]