Bengals linebacker plight has team scrambling after draft & free agent misses

The Cincinnati Bengals are facing the harsh reality of not having improved one of the weakest positions on their roster, and in the NFL.

Last year, they drafted two linebackers with the intention that one would start immediately and the hope that the other would develop after Logan Wilson's release. However, hope is not a plan. 

While Demetrius Knight started, it was not a good idea. And, Barrett Carter taking over opposite Knight proved not to be the change the defense needed. 

Now, with Cincinnati missing out on several upgrades at the linebacker position in free agency, they might have to draft a rookie again, hoping that player turns out to be what they need.

But is this the way to go? That answer depends on, like, last year, who they select, if anyone.

Bengals' 'combo linebacker' buzzword can't hide front office failures

The first thing the Bengals must do is figure out what they are looking for. Perhaps they know it, but have a difficult time communicating it to the fanbase. Or, they are in perpetual smokescreen mode, throwing off the other teams who are undoubtedly hanging on to every word they are uttering. 

Every off-season, there seems to be a vocabulary word or vague phrase that takes a front seat to whatever narrative Duke Tobin is peddling our way. 

A few years ago, the term "versatile offensive lineman" had a run. This year, it is "a force multiplier." And around Bengaldom, we are learning about the phrase “combo linebacker,” which has been attributed to the front office by the Bengals beat reporter, Charlie Goldsmith, among others. 

Our basic understanding of the term 'combo linebacker' is someone who can do a combination of things.

From our best interpretation, combo linebacker suggests what the grown-ups used to call a SAM linebacker. That is, a linebacker who played close to the line of scrimmage, who was responsible for setting the edge on his side of the offensive line, while also having the responsibilities of covering tight ends and rushing the passer.

They were stereotypically bigger, stronger, and played the run better than the middle and weak-side linebackers, who were typically faster and rushed the passer less frequently than the strong-side linebackers.

Bengals passed on quality linebacker fits in 2025 NFL Draft

Beyond the definition of a combo linebacker, there are other questions we should ask about the position. Did they not know this combo linebacker was in need last season? What were they thinking when they made their selections in last year's draft?

The irony is that Cincinnati had ample opportunities to draft the exact player that they were looking for last off-season and failed to do so, which is why they're in this predicament.

If combo linebacker means setting the edge, rushing the passer, and covering running backs and tight ends, those players were available last draft season. They forewent those options for players who could not perform those duties, at least on tape anyway, and for other positions.

Jihaad Campbell and Josiah Stewart, 2025 Draft solutions for 2026 problems

The Bengals had Jalon Walker go off the board to the Atlanta Falcons two picks before theirs. Then, instead of selecting what would appear to be a combo linebacker in Jihaad Campbell, they selected an edge rusher who was ineffective at rushing the edge in college. Campbell subsequently went to the Philadelphia Eagles with the 31st overall pick.

In the second round, the Bengals selected Demetrius Knight with the 49th overall pick. However, Knight is not what anyone would call a combo linebacker.

But another player who would have perfectly fit the mold of setting the edge, rushing the passer, and playing the linebacker position was. The Rams selected Stewart with the 90th overall pick, after the Bengals selected Knight and guard Dylan Fairchild.

Now, the Bengals are in desperate need of linebacker help, along with whatever this amorphous combo linebacker position is. And that is despite the available options they had in last year's draft.

What’s worse, they are still in the market for players along the defensive line who can rush the passer after signing an edge rusher in the first round last year and a 3-tech defensive tackle in the second round the year before that.

Perhaps we're not giving them enough credit. Perhaps they looked ahead to this year's draft and identified the perfect players, as rookies, to address both those needs.

Bengals' limited options after linebacker free agency disappointment

Now, with top-of-the-market free agent targets off to play for other franchises, the Cincinnati Bengals don't have a lot of options to upgrade at the linebacker position significantly. However, one could argue that it wouldn't take very much.

The Bengals could seek a trade to add a veteran presence that fits exactly what they're looking for. However, after missing out on Osa Odighizuwa, we shouldn't count on it.

Also, the Bengals could wait until teams started trimming their rosters after the third preseason game, hoping they're high enough on the waiver wire list to get a player through that process.

There is also a possibility of position changes. Some of us were hoping that Shemar Stewart would make the permanent change to defensive tackle, where he flashed the most last season, using his athleticism and bull-in-a-china-shop tactics to defeat offensive linemen.

Stewart could use advertised athleticism to make a switch to the combo linebacker role, where he can rush the passer, set the edge, and run with tight ends and running backs out of the backfield. Sounds ridiculous, but not as ridiculous as it was to take him with the 17th overall pick in the first round last year.

There is the “hope” option. They could spin the block with the two young linebackers they selected last year. The hope is that Knight and Carter will develop into whatever the front office thought they could be when they took them in the second and fourth rounds, respectively.

Finally, the Bengals could address this situation through the draft. However, we saw they didn't address it in last year's draft, and even if they did this year, it would be tripling down on another rookie coming in, for the second time in two years, in hopes that he turns out to be what defensive coordinator Al Golden is looking for.

None of these options is ideal, underscoring how badly the Bengals have put themselves in an unenviable position through a lack of proper scouting and aggressiveness in the free-agent market.