3 positions the Bengals need to upgrade (linebacker isn't one of them)

Heading into the season, the narrative around the Cincinnati Bengals' defense was that, while they had made some splash signings and a blockbuster trade, they still failed to address what was ultimately the worst unit on the team last year: the linebacker room. However, after five weeks of football, the conversation has changed quite a bit.

While the duo of 2025 draftees Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. hasn't been great (coverage remains a major issue for the 2nd-year linebackers), they've at least been serviceable. Carter has given a couple of strong performances and has shown more flash than he did all of last year, and Knight in particular has improved considerably.

Not only has he been much stronger against the run, as noted by fellow Stripe Hype writer Dylan Oakley in the article linked above, but he's fixed what was his biggest issue in his rookie season: missed tackles. Last year, Knight's missed tackle rate sat at an alarmingly high 14.5%. Through five weeks in 2026, that number has dipped all the way down to 6.7%.

While their play is part of why the conversation has shifted away from them, the bigger and less positive reason is that some other players/positions have struggled far more than the linebackers so far this season. So as they head into their bye week, let's look at 3 positions the Bengals need to upgrade, with linebacker-- shockingly-- not being one of them.

Safety

As a long-time Battle believer, this hurts. And feels weird to write as the 4th-year safety is coming off of the best game of his career, where he nabbed two interceptions against Malik Willis after calling his shot days before the game. That, in of itself, is part of the problem.

Battle will have games of brilliance every so often, getting interceptions, having solid blitzing reps, and otherwise disrupting plays. Unfortunately, between those games is lackluster coverage and some of the worst tackling effort you will ever see. In fact, just before this game, Battle had what was arguably the worst game of his career against the Jaguars-- including this very egregious missed tackle on third-and-long.

This isn't just one bad play, either. This is the culmination of the last two seasons. Last year, Battle was one of the league leaders in missed tackles, and, unfortunately, the new defensive acquisitions haven't helped him like they have other young players on this defense. Right now, his missed tackle rate sits at 17.9%!

For reference, last year, it was 14.4%. And that was bad.

Battle is still young, as he will turn 26 this December, so he shouldn't be completely written off, especially with the flashes he's shown. As of right now, though, he isn't good enough to be starting on a team that wants to contend. Some have suggested going after veteran Charger Derwin James Jr., as they will likely be selling at the deadline following their 0-5 start. Others have floated the idea of a reunion with Jessie Bates to pair alongside Bryan Cook.

As fun as those options would be, this team hasn't been one to make splash moves at the deadline, so the answer likely comes from within. Kyle Dugger is an intriguing option and would likely be an upgrade. Dugger, another acquisition this offseason, has only seen action on defense in one game, coming in relief of Cook during the Bengals matchup against Pittsburgh, and he played solidly, recording eight tackles and a pass defended.

Right now, Dugger is injured, but he should at least be eating into some of Battle's snaps coming out of the bye, if he's healthy and ready to go.

Left Tackle

While Amarius Mims is having an All-Pro and potentially Protector of the Year caliber season at RT, things are looking a lot murkier on the other side. Orlando Brown Jr. has had a rough start to the season. He's always had some bad reps through the season, but that's made up for by usually serviceable, if not great, play.

This year, unfortunately, fresh off an extension, that has not been the case.

He's been slower and getting beat by more athletic edge rushers, with the Houston game being easily his worst performance of the year so far. His 62.2 pass-blocking grade doesn't sound too terrible at first, but it does put him at the 51st-ranked tackle out of the 72 eligible. Pro Football Focus has also tagged him with three sacks, five hits allowed, 12 pressures allowed, and three penalties in the first five games of the season, with some more tough matchups coming up as the season goes on.

Out of all the positions that need improvement, this is the one that will almost certainly have to wait until the offseason to see it. While Orlando Brown Jr. has struggled, he's still better than anyone else they have behind him (as intriguing as Javon Foster and Brian Parker II are).

Starting-quality linemen are at a premium in this league; you're not going to find one in free agency, and teams typically aren't willing to trade good tackles no matter how much they want to sell at the deadline. Hopefully, they can hide this weakness with help from Samaje Perine and Drew Sample until then.

Running Back

On the opposite end of the spectrum of scarcity, there always seems to be a surplus of running backs around the league that, at the very least, can give your offense a spark. Usually on practice squads or buried on depth charts behind better and more consistent backs. Which the Bengals need, because oh, boy, is Chase Brown struggling.

Unfortunate, if for no other reason than the fact that my last article was about how strong of a start he was having this season. Oh, well.

After stringing together some solid games to start the year, these last two weeks have been brutal for the pass-catching back. The Jaguars have one of the best run defenses in the league, sure, but nine attempts for 10 yards is inexcusable for a lead back. And it led to Samaje Perine seeing more activity in their Week 5 game at Miami, where he looked far better than Brown, with 68 yards on 14 carries. Nearly 5 yards a pop.

Brown, on the other hand, had 13 attempts for 39 yards, with a fumble to cap things off. And while EPA isn't the be-all and end-all, just like any other advanced stat, this, paired with what we've seen these last two weeks, is pretty damning.

Even with how good Perine looked, you don't want him to be your lead back either. The truth is, both of these running backs thrive in spurts and specific situations. The Bengals either need a lead back or a running back who can be more consistently effective than either of these two in the mix if they want to have a halfway-respectable rushing attack.

They have some juice on the practice squad with Kentrel Bullock, who had a strong showing (14 carries, 85 yards, 1 TD) in their preseason finale. Jamal Haynes had that incredible run, maybe they could give him a call?

If there is one position they would trade for at the deadline, it would be running back. They've done it recently, trading for Khalil Herbert at the 2024 trade deadline, so it's not out of the question. Running backs typically don't net premium picks or anything else that you would really think twice about trading, so price isn't an issue.

G.C. Bellchamber over at Bolt Beat suggested the Bengals could be a potential suitor for Kimani Vidal if the Chargers decide to deal him at the deadline.

Whatever they do, if they want to have a better rushing offense after the bye, the solution will likely have to come from outside the house.

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