The Cincinnati Bengals are just kicking off their final phase of OTAs before mandatory minicamp gets underway next week. However, one of their key pieces on defense is drawing preemptive criticism.
A lot of it is founded if we're being honest. Had Myles Murphy lived up to his first-round billing when he was drafted 28th overall in 2023 out of Clemson, the Bengals' defense wouldn't have been quite as much of a dumpster fire in recent years. The Murphy pick has long had Cincinnati fans wondering what could've been.
Murphy didn't start showing positive signs until midway through his third NFL season this past year. Was that a mirage, or a sign that he's finally putting it all together?
Bengals DE Myles Murphy named on list of eight players with most to prove at mandatory minicamps
Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport only chose eight candidates from across the league to crack his list. A big part of the rationale for Murphy's inclusion is the fact that he's a past first-rounder whose fifth-year option was declined.
While three spots on Cincy's new-look defensive line may be set, the edge spot opposite Mafe is up for grabs, with a pair of former first-round picks set to battle to start in Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart. [...] Murphy had 52 tackles and 5.5 sacks in just under 700 snaps for the Bengals last year. If he wants to land a hefty contract next year, he's going to need to improve on those numbers. And that's not going to be easy if he loses the starting job to Stewart this summer."
I'm not so certain that Stewart is a worthy contender for the last starting job on the defensive line. He was awful as a rookie; the latest in a long line of first-round disappointments in Cincinnati.
Blowing so many premium picks in Joe Burrow's prime isn't great. To their credit, the Bengals recognized they don't really excel there, and flipped their 10th overall pick for Dexter Lawrence.
When Murphy publicly admitted last offseason that his work ethic wasn't up to snuff, it looked like quite the self-own through the first half of the 2025 campaign. His impact remained negligible. Thank goodness, albeit when the games virtually didn't matter anymore, Murphy found something from about November on.
It's doubtful that mandatory minicamp will be some make-or-break situation for Murphy and his alleged competition with Stewart. Then again, Stewart is such a freak athlete that it'd be a disservice to the team if this period, and training camp, and the preseason, weren't utilized to give Stewart some more extended looks with the starting defensive unit to see if he can hack it.
Between Stewart and the second-round selection of his college teammate, Cashius Howell, Cincinnati is suddenly flush with talent and depth at defensive end, led by free agent addition Boye Mafe.
All these developments could spell bad news for Murphy. It's understandable he'd crack a list of players with most to prove, even if it's a little premature to suggest mandatory minicamp will be some critical showcase for him.
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