The Cincinnati Bengals were regarded as a team that was likely going to pick the best defensive player on their board in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and the planets managed to align in such a way that Texas A&M pass rusher Shemar Stewart came to town with the No. 17 overall pick.
With Myles Murphy continuing to struggle in the NFL, Sam Hubbard leaving the game early due to a retirement, and Trey Hendrickson trade rumors, taking a pass rusher like Stewart could help supercharge this defense. However, Duke Tobin's work is far from done this year.
The Bengals will enter Day 2 of the Draft in need of some star power on the back end, as the secondary might be the main reason that Joe Burrow needed to throw for 300 yards and three touchdowns to even give Cincy a chance of competing with some of the other big boys in the AFC.
With Stewart already in tow, Cincinnati could be one very smart defensive back selection away from reaffirming their status as contenders in what has become a very crowded AFC.
Bengals must target secondary in second round of 2025 NFL Draft
While this would be an extreme scenario, the fact that projected Top 15 pick Will Johnson has fallen out of the first round due to what many are calling some concerning medicals suggests that he could fall far enough for Cincinnati to eventually make a move on him.
If Johnson is not in their plans, South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori could be the type of player who changes the Cincinnati defense overnight. Ole Miss' Trey Amos, Notre Dame's Xavier Watts, and Florida State's Azareye'h Thomas are solid fallback options if those two pie-in-the-sky options are off the board.
If the secondary finally steps on the gas, and Stewart manages to put everything together in the NFL, look for the Bengals to reassert themselves as a team that could become a threat in the AFC. After years of investing serious capital into the defense, it may start to bear some fruit in 2025.
Even with a putrid defense that would give up 30 points seemingly every week, Burrow had this Bengals team with inches of the postseason. A new squad of youngsters led by Stewart and whomever gets picked in the second round moving in could serve as a catalyst for some real change.