It's no secret that the Cincinnati Bengals are struggling to generate much of a pass rush outside of Trey Hendrickson. They need a spark in the worst way at the defensive end position.
Although Week 8's promotion for rookie first-round pick Shemar Stewart will hopefully do the trick for now against the New York Jets, even more help is on the way as of Wednesday.
For as disappointing as Cincinnati's 2024 draft class has been for the most part outside of ascending right tackle Amarius Mims, one of that group's Day 3 selections has a shot to make a splash. Time will tell when he's on the field for game day, but this latest news is a big step in the right direction.
Bengals DE Cedric Johnson cleared for return to practice
The Bengals announced that one of last year's sixth-round picks, Cedric Johnson, has been cleared for practice. He has a 21-day window to return to the active roster.
Johnson played in the SEC at Ole Miss, but unlike Stewart's dubious production of 4.5 sacks across three seasons, he proved to be a stellar pass rusher. In addition to racking up 16 sacks in his final few seasons in Oxford, Johnson bested Stewart's 11 tackles for loss with 19 of his own.
That type of production in college football's best conference bodes well as Johnson tries to make more of an impact at the NFL level.
Despite a limited sample size as a rookie, to me, Johnson already showed more promise than most of the other Cincinnati players at his position. He posted a solid 70.7 PFF grade, which would rank 37th this season if he played enough snaps to qualify. That mark dwarfs the likes of Joseph Ossai, Myles Murphy, and anyone else not named Hendrickson or Stewart the Bengals are trotting out on Sundays.
Every level of this Cincinnati defense has its flaws. Rookie linebackers Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter are still enduring growing pains as they adjust to starting roles. Stewart is raw as can be and can't be realistically depended on to make a huge impact. The secondary has little to hang its hat on other than DJ Turner's breakout at cornerback.
Anything the Bengals can do to add juice to their pass rush would be a welcome surprise. Johnson has the type of physical tools, collegiate production profile, and passable NFL performance to this point to be that guy.
It's unlikely Johnson suits up versus the Jets. Still, his presence hikes up the competition at a position Cincinnati is lacking quality depth in — and has for quite some time.