The Cincinnati Bengals didn't earn very many rave reviews for their performance in the 2025 NFL Draft. While they did draft premium defensive players like pass rusher Shemar Stewart and linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. in the first two rounds, Duke Tobin chose not to use any of those selections to fix a poor secondary from last year.
The Bengals have banked on draftees from the last few years to try and fill the hole, and it appears as though ESPN remains incredibly unimpressed with the plan to let the young starlets try to prove themselves as starters.
ESPN ranked safety as the biggest hole on the Bengals' roster at this point in time, citing the fact that this room was not improved upon in the Draft. Geno Stone, who struggled in his first season after leaving the rival Baltimore Ravens, is projected to start alongside Jordan Battle.
Considering how poorly Cincinnati performed on the defensive end, and how many winnable games Joe Burrow lost because of that defense, it is quite disappointing to see the Bengals back in the same exact spot they were last year.
Bengals' safety room ridiculed as team's biggest hole after NFL Draft
The Bengals currently have seven defensive backs on their roster who were drafted by Cincinnati and are still on their rookie contracts. While Cam Taylor-Britt, DJ Turner, and Dax Hill have had their moments, none of them have evolved into the high-end starters Cincy has envisioned.
Stone can eventually become a long-term starter with a similar level of performance that he showcased in Baltimore, but he is also someone who has shown to be a very limited player that Cincinnati might regret handing a multi-year contract. Battle is fine, but he is as replaceable as they come.
With Stewart standing out as such a raw player that he is unlikely to provide a ton of Year 1 impact and Knight likely going to push Germaine Pratt out of town, the Bengals might not be able to remake their lackluster defense in one year. That isn't ideal for a coach on the hot seat in Zac Taylor.
Stone and Battle can make up for these shortcomings by proving that they can take the next step, but this Bengals team is one more defensive back regression away from once again having to win 38-35 shootouts to do much of anything in terms of making a playoff push.n