The Bengals are unequivocally going to be one of the premier offensive teams in the sport next season, but the defensive side of the ball has been their undoing in recent years. It remains to be seen if the team can get their act together on defense to support Burrow with defensive coordinator Al Golden going into year 2 on the job. Here I will go into detail assessing the front seven of the team heading into the 2026 season.
Set to start at the first of the two edge rusher positions is former 2nd round pick Boye Mafe. Mafe in all four seasons he has played in the NFL thus far has graded above average in terms of an overall defense grade according to Pro Football Focus. Mafe is a good to a very good but not a great player. However, with 2025 first round pick edge rusher Shemar Stewart’s rookie struggles, Mafe is the current listed starter. However, if Stewart improves and starts to fulfill his potential in year 2 in the NFL, Mafe will likely transition to a reserve role and be a very good depth player in the Bengals’ front seven.
Newly acquired tackle Dexter Lawrence is set to start at the first of the two interior defensive line positions. Lawrence is a two-time All-Pro who could be argued as likely the premier interior defensive lineman in the sport today. Lawrence is coming off a down season by his standards with the Giants, although still being elite, as perhaps his motivation waned playing for a 4-13 team. Now that Lawrence is in line to play for a contender, I think Lawrence will recapture his peak form as he is set to turn only 29 years old next season.
The Bengals also acquired another big name former first round pick player this offseason to start at the remaining interior defensive line spot for the team in Jonathan Allen. Allen is known for having an elite ceiling but struggling with consistency as perhaps motivation is something he struggles with as well. However, Allen has been consistently below average for three straight seasons now and perhaps his age, being in his 30s now, has led to his decline. The Bengals have the likes of both BJ Hill, who is consistently an above average to a well above average player, and 2024 2nd rounder Kris Jenkins Jr who has yet had an extended chance to prove himself, behind Allen on the depth chart. It would not surprise me if either player were to take the starting role from Allen at some point during the season, and then Allen would transition to a reserve role and be likely a high-end caliber backup player at this point in his career.
Former 1st rounder Myles Murphy is set to start at the remaining edge rusher position but has underwhelmed in the NFL thus far. Drafted in the first round in 2023, Murphy has graded in the below average range in terms of an overall defense grade according to Pro Football Focus in every season he has played thus far. However, Murphy took reserve snaps in year 1 and year 2, year 3 with Murphy in 2025 was his first season starting and he ranked slightly below average. Murphy going into his second full season as starter with defensive coordinator Al Golden also going into year 2 as well, could be in line to break out and live up to his high draft billing starting next season.
At the first of the starting linebacker spots 2025 second round rookie Demetrius Knight is set to start for the Bengals. Knight is coming off a nightmare rookie season where he like many young players on the Bengals struggled to perform well as young players under rookie defensive coordinator Al Golden. Likewise, Knight will be in line to improve and potentially live up to his high draft billing heading into year 2 in the NFL with Golden also going into year 2 as well.
At the starting middle linebacker spot, 2025 fourth rounder Barrett Carter is set to start, who also struggled mightily as a rookie under rookie defensive coordinator Al Golden. Like his contemporary Knight, he could also improve mightily as both he and Golden head into year 2 and Carter could live up to his potential being drafted relatively high. However, it was not as if Carter was a first or second round pick and if he does not improve mightily, he will be in line to transition to a reserve role. Especially with the likes of Joe Giles-Harris in the linebacking core as well who has looked elite in limited snaps playing as a reserve.
At the last of the currently listed starting linebacker spots is former third rounder Oren Burks. Burks is known for having an elite ceiling but struggling with consistency. If Burks is on his A game, he is a well above average to a borderline elite player but often Burks’ production is near the bottom of the NFL. If Burks is not on his A game, perhaps he could also transition to a reserve role as he may be better suited as a high-end backup given his inconsistencies.
From a depth standpoint in the front seven, the Bengals have several notable names, some of whom I have glossed over already, who could loom large as they could transition to starting roles. 2025 first rounder Shemar Stewart looked poor as a rookie, but like many of his young contemporaries, he could be in line to breakout heading into year 2 with defensive coordinator Al Golden also heading into year 2. Veteran B.J Hill is consistently an above average to a well above average player who was the starter for the team on the interior of the defensive line until the team acquired both Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen in the offseason. 2024 second rounder Kris Jenkins Jr was drafted very highly as an interior defensive lineman and has yet truly had the chance to prove himself. Essentially the same narrative exists for 2023 second rounder Isaiah Foskey who also was drafted very highly and has yet had the chance to prove himself. The Bengals drafted edge rusher Cashius Howell in the second round in 2026, and he could prove to be a strong player given how high he was drafted. Linebacker Joe Giles Harris has looked elite in limited NFL snaps playing in a reserve role and may prove to be a very good if not a great player if he gets a chance to play more. While the likes of linebacker Shaka Heyward, former third and fourth rounders McKinnley Jackson and Jordan Jefferson respectively on the interior of the defensive front are strong reserve options as of now as well. Below I have provided a breakdown of the current Bengals’ front seven personnel with me assigning each player a grade and footnotes for many players.
Starters
LDE – Boye Mafe – B to B+
LDT – Dexter Lawrence – A to A+
RDT – Jonathan Allen – C+ to B-, elite ceiling, lacks consistency, might be too old now
RDE – Myles Murphy – C, 2023 1st rd., not ample chance to prove himself, improving
WLB – Demetrius Knight Jr – 2025 2nd rounder, abysmal rookie season, improving
MLB – Barrett Carter – 2025 4th rounder, abysmal rookie season, improving
SLB – Oren Burks – C+ to B-, borderline elite ceiling, highly inconsistent
Noteworthy Reserves
ED – Shemar Stewart – 2025 1st rounder, abysmal rookie season, improving
DT – Kris Jenkins Jr – 2024 2nd rounder, C, not ample chance to prove himself, improving
ED – Isaiah Foskey – 2023 2nd rounder, C- in very limited snaps, improving
LB – Shaka Heyward – C+ to B- in very limited snaps
LB – Joe Giles Harris – A- in very limited snaps, consistently elite in reserve snaps
DT – Mckinnley Jackson – 2024 3rd rounder, C+ to B-, still improving, only limited snaps
DT – Jordan Jefferson – 2024 4th rounder, B, strong rookie season, hardly played in ‘25
DT – B.J Hill – B to B+
ED – Cashius Howell – 2026 2nd rounder
As you can see from the above data, the Bengals have high draft pick after high paid player after big name in their front seven. From a raw talent standpoint in their front seven, the Bengals rank up there with any NFL team. It is just a matter of whether the young/unproven/inconsistent players can come into their own. With many of the young players now transitioning out of their rookie seasons and/or into their primes, along with defensive coordinator Al Golden going into his second season as an NFL defensive coordinator. I think there is a strong likelihood that the Bengals have one of the premier front sevens in the NFL during this upcoming season. The Bengals may have even prioritized stockpiling talent in the front seven to a fault and could have allocated some of the assets elsewhere.
