The Cincinnati Bengals head into the 2026 NFL draft needing to find immediate upgrades at several positions. Priorities one, two, and three are on defense.
The team made significant moves to address the defensive line and safety positions in free agency. However, there is one critical position where the team ranked last in the NFL that they have yet to address during this crucial offseason.
Now, that lack of attention has caught the eye of Pro Football Focus, which has once again placed a spotlight on a black hole in Cincinnati’s defensive universe.
The Bengals’ biggest weakness isn’t up for debate
When PFF’s Bradley Locker set out to answer what was the biggest draft need for the Bengals and the other NFL teams, he must have found it refreshing to find the answer so easily with Cincy.
For Locker, Bengals fans, and most importantly, defensive coordinator Al Golden, the biggest need for Cincinnati heading into the draft is linebacker.
Of that particular dilemma that the team is currently experiencing, Locker writes:
“Any level of the Bengals’ defense could ostensibly qualify for this list, but its intermediate looks the worst right now. Cincinnati’s linebackers were the worst in the league last year by overall PFF grade, and the team hasn’t revamped its room yet this offseason. Although there’s room for second-round pick Demetrius Knight Jr. to improve, the Bengals would be wise to pursue at least one addition in the early rounds of the draft.”
Missed tackles were one of the Bengals' biggest problems on defense. Safeties Geno Stone and Jordan Battle ranked first and third in the NFL in missed tackles, respectively. Their rookie linebackers, Knight and Barrett Carter, ranked eighth and 12th, respectively.
Cincinnati addressed the safety position with the acquisition of new starter Bryan Cook. They also added depth with Kyle Dugger. However, replacing Stone’s at times horrific tackling effort with Cook’s low missed tackle rate should be one of the biggest upgrades for any one position in the NFL this offseason.
Now that just leaves linebacker.
Bengals ignored linebacker help in free agency
Now that we have properly identified the major issue at hand, it should be easy to solve, right? Right?
Apparently not.
In free agency, the Bengals failed to pick up any of the best available players at the position, such as Devin Lloyd or Leo Chenal.
Even some guys who could have been nice fits for a struggling defense, but at a lesser price, like Malcolm Rodriguez or former Bengals backer Akeem Davis-Gaither, signed elsewhere.
So what’s next for the worst tackling, worst run-stopping defense in the NFL as they look to improve the worst defensive group in the league? The NFL draft, of course.
Great options at linebacker for the Bengals to target
Luckily for Cincinnati’s front office and Duke Tobin, several intriguing and capable prospects could come in and positively produce at a position group that needs all the help it can get at this point.
Unless the Bengals are willing to move up and select Sonny Styles in the top 5, they will have to possibly wait until the second round and use the 41st overall pick to start addressing the neglected position.
At which point, after having already selected Treydan Stukes in the first round, they can set their sights on University of Cincinnati standout Jake Golday in the second round.
The former Bearcats standout can play middle, outside linebacker, or standup on the edge. He is a capable tackler who is an excellent blitzer who can bend the edge with some of the best edge rushers.
If the Bengals are looking for another edge rusher, a linebacker combo type of player, they can cross their fingers and hope that Michigan’s Jaishawn Barham is available in the third round at 72. But he might not be.
Then there are the exceptionally talented, classic 4-3 linebacker types who could help anchor the second level of the defense. Anthony Hill Jr., Kaleb Elarms-Orr, and Khalil “Red” Murdoch would be great additions to the linebacker room and serve as middle linebackers.
Could you imagine having Barham and Mudoch drafted by the same team? That would be an instant infusion of aggression to the point of overdose if there were a team that needed such a thing.
So while PFF and many fans have already identified linebacker as the biggest need heading into the draft, there will be a few excellent options, spread throughout the draft, for the Bengals to take big swings on to address the team’s worst position group.
Hopefully, the Bengals will take advantage of such talent and select one, two, or three.
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