The Cincinnati Bengals should have no fewer than three new starters on defense and multiple other major contributors thanks to an offseason that saw them score the most talented roster of the Joe Burrow era.
Did I stutter? Or rather, did I typo? Or make some outlandish statement about the state of the team? Not if you ask Burrow himself.
Thanks to the arrivals of Dexter Lawrence, Boye Mafe, and Jonathan Allen on the defensive line, along with Bryan Cook to stabilize the safety position, the Bengals are poised for a big leap forward on that side of the ball.
So who will benefit the most? Three incumbent players immediately spring to mind.
S Jordan Battle
As Bengals expert Joe Goodberry astutely observed, when Jordan Battle was afforded the chance to play deep safety last year, he balled out. Battle recorded four interceptions from that spot on only 23 targets, yielding a 58.0 passer rating. That's absurd production.
Problem was, Geno Stone couldn't tackle to save his life, and therefore forced Battle into the box more than he was comfortable with. Tackling isn't exactly Battle's specialty either.
Good news! Bryan Cook is one of the surest tacklers at the safety position in the entire league (4.5% missed tackle rate in 2025). Cook plays deep safety more often than not, yet he's versatile enough to play in the slot if need be, and can obviously come down in the box to fulfill his duties in run support
The closer Cook is to the line of scrimmage, and the more often Battle can play center field, the better. It's not like Al Golden is going to stick them both exclusively at those spots. Gone are the days of pure free and strong safeties for the most part. That said, expect Golden to play to both players' strengths, putting Battle on track for a healthy second-contract payday.
LB Barrett Carter
As of this writing, stating that Barrett Carter is a "core defender" makes me cringe. He was atrocious in his rookie year as the trial-by-fire green-dot linebacker.
Why the Bengals believe a Day 3 draft pick who was clearly in over his head deserves to enter his sophomore NFL training camp unchallenged is beyond me. However, Carter can only improve from taking all those lumps, and the hope is that all those reps were "growing pains" to precede something resembling a starting-caliber player.
The aforementioned reinforcements in the defensive trenches should make Carter's job infinitely easier. The big question is, can he actually capitalize on the more favorable circumstances? It's a pretty low bar to clear from what he's put on tape thus far.
DE Myles Murphy
Fox Sports' Ben Arthur named Murphy among 10 contract-year players most likely to break out. It's easy to see why Murphy made the cut.
Despite his declined fifth-year option, Myles Murphy showed over his last eight games or so why the Bengals drafted him in the first round back in 2023. Murphy had some serious juice as a pass rusher and was an emphatic edge-setter versus the run.
Will that momentum carry over into the new year? Now that he's in the midst of a contract year, Murphy can play well enough to price himself out of Cincy, or solidify himself as a long-term starter.
Again, this is where the presences of Lawrence, Mafe, and Allen will come in handy. Lawrence is a one-of-one interior pass rusher at nose tackle. Allen can push the pocket from the inside as well. Mafe is a supreme athlete who can score quick wins as he screams in off the edge.
With the jury still out on Shemar Stewart, this is a golden opportunity for Murphy to ball out and capitalize on some favorable matchups. Whether it's double teams on Lawrence or stunts up front, we should see career-best pressure rates from Murphy, if not his best sack total to date.
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