3 winners (and 2 losers) from the first week of Bengals training camp

The Cincinnati Bengals are just getting rolling in the run up to the 2026 season at training camp, but plenty of juicy subplots are already developing. As Joe Burrow and the offense go under center more to expand the playbook, the defense is having its way.

When assessing the winners and losers through the first week, there aren't many holes to poke in this team right now. Burrow's current struggles are actually a welcome development. That means new defensive additions like Dexter Lawrence and Bryan Cook are doing their jobs.

So without further ado, let's dive into what's happened at Bengals training camp thus far. A little over a month out from Week 1 against the Bucs, y'all. Hold the line!

Winner: Bengals defensive line

Speaking of lines, holy moly is Cincinnati's defensive front getting after it. Anyone who thought the Lawrence trade was an "overpay" or whatever looks like a straight-up imbecile right now.

We'll touch on Boye Mafe in particular in a short while, for he merits a different subsection in this here piece. But between Mafe, rookie second-rounder Cashius Howell, and Jonathan Allen, all indications are this revamped d-line is firing on all cylinders.

NBC 5 sports director Charlie Clifford logged Burrow's pass attempts in 11-on-11 periods over the latest two practices. The most accurate passer in the sport completed only 14 of his 29 throws.

That's less a reflection of Burrow's imprecision and more a compliment to how much pressure the Bengals are generating up front. Mind you, this comes against an offensive line that returns all five starters.

Any concerns about all the new pieces on defense jelling in time for the regular season are being put to bed in swift fashion.

Loser: Shemar Stewart

Look, I'm not here to pile on a guy while he's down. Thank goodness Shemar Stewart has freaky flexibility, because otherwise, the knee hyperextension he suffered in the first open camp practice could've been way worse.

This isn't, like, a knock on Stewart, nor am I calling him a loser for getting hurt. Ya know? It's more just that he's losing out on invaluable reps, just like he did last offseason when he missed the entire program leading into training camp whilst disputing his rookie contract.

I put that spat at the negotiating table more on Cincinnati's brain trust than Stewart and his reps, yet it's no less frustrating regardless. Stewart had a terrible rookie year. He was the 17th overall pick in 2025. We knew he was talented but raw as could be entering the NFL.

A season-ending injury would've legitimately put Stewart's career in jeopardy, or at the very least, made it a near-impossible hill to climb to avoid bust status. Here's hoping he returns soon.

Winner: Colbie Young

You want to talk about a rookie who "gets it" despite off-field concerns, lacking collegiate production, and joining a position group dominated by superstars in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins?

Everything about picking Colbie Young in the fourth round made little sense to me at the time. It's still early in camp, but the ex-Georgia wideout is making the disaster that was Jermaine Burton feel like a distant memory.

Young's 6'5" frame is ideal for Burrow's penchant for deep balls. If the rookie can crack the rotation and be a contested catch stalwart, Chase could flex into the slot more often to create more favorable matchups, and with Higgins to also account for, Young could draw favorable 1-on-1s.

Just have a listen to Young. He seems to have a good head on his shoulders.

Loser: The swing tackle ‘competition’

Nothing much to report here. It's more about what you don't hear about the swing tackle spot out of Cincinnati. Cody Ford entered camp as the default favorite for the role, and nobody is challenging him whatsoever.

Ford is better suited as a guard. Can he play tackle in a pinch? Not so much. This ain't Joe Thuney.

Since Connor Lew has been cleared from his torn ACL and looks to have the inside track as the backup center, I wonder if fellow rookie Brian Parker II could cross-train at tackle? Parker played mostly right tackle in college at Duke, and it's hard to imagine he's worse at that spot than Ford.

Winner: Bengals’ most expensive free agents

Bryan Cook's pick-six off Burrow suggests he's well worth the three-year, $40.25 million deal the Bengals are paying him. You love to see Cook excelling in coverage like that, especially since he's better known as a run support stalwart.

Here's where we circle back to Boye Mafe, though, because he is, in fact, Cincinnati's priciest free agent signing.

Mafe just won a Super Bowl in Seattle. He had nine sacks in his second season and saw his role diminish under Mike Macdonald last year. That's more about the Seahawks' loaded roster than anything else.

The lack of tread on Mafe's tires suggests he has plenty to offer the Bengals. Defensive coordinator Al Golden has Mafe taking reps at the "Viper" position, which is essentially a hybrid edge defender who can shift at the snap and drop in coverage on occasion as an off-ball linebacker.

Thanks to his incredible athleticism and, I'm sure, an advanced football IQ coming from that Macdonald System in Seattle, Mafe is excelling with his new team. He got the pressure on Burrow for that Cook pick-six, and notably blew up the bootleg play below.

Sure looks like three years and $60 million of money well spent on Mafe by the Bengals' brass.

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