Logan Wilson’s exit at NFL trade deadline leaves hole Bengals can't fill

The Cincinnati Bengals traded linebacker Logan Wilson to the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday before the NFL trade deadline. 

The decision to bench the veteran backer led Wilson to ask for a trade from the organization. The Bengals obliged, to the disappointment of many fans who believe that a limited Wilson returning from a 2024 season-ending injury was better than the alternatives the team trotts out onto the field every week. 

Wilson’s departure leaves a figurative and literal hole in Al Golden’s defense that will only exacerbate one of the major issues plaguing Cincinnati’s defense, with no one left to hopefully step up in this key role. 

Logan Wilson was the ideal modern linebacker for Bengals

When Cincinnati drafted Wilson in the 2020 NFL draft, 65th overall, the Bengals and defensive coordinators were desperate to find defenders who could cover running backs and tight ends. 

The switch from the intimidating and “thumper” types of linebackers gave way to more athletic ones who were more likely to resemble the safeties of the recent past, rather than the Ray Lewis prototypes to which we had become accustomed. 

In his four years at Wyoming, Wilson recorded 421 tackles, seven sacks, 35 tackles for loss, and four forced fumbles. But more importantly, the standout star had 10 interceptions, 14 passes defended, 154 yards off interceptions, and two returns for touchdowns. 

Wilson was a darling example of the analytics community catching up to the shift in the nature of the position. Pro Football Focus was one of the leaders in the Wilson hype train. 

Coverage skills helped Logan Wilson’s fast rise to defensive leader

Wilson lived up to his draft profile. He played above his draft position, quickly becoming the defender wearing the green dot and team captain. 

In his first four years in Cincinnati, Wilson recorded 11 interceptions and 20 pass breakups. His most crucial pass breakup came at the most significant moment, on the biggest stage. Unfortunately, it did not count due to an awful pass interference call. 

Wilson accumulated those pass-defense stats while leading the team in tackles from 2021 to 2023. 

Wilson would have led the team again in 2024 if it were not for the knee injury that ended his season after 11 games. 

Replacing Logan Wilson already an unmitigated disaster

In the 2025 draft, the Bengals selected two linebackers, attempting to replace Germaine Pratt and drafting insurance for Wilson’s injury. However, how the team went about that course of action was a bad road to go down. 

The worst linebackers in the league is the only way to describe the unmitigated disaster the position, in particular, and the defensive picks in general, from this past draft have been. 

The young defenders are among the worst tacklers in a league where tackling ball carriers is a prerequisite. 

But not only are they awful tacklers, they offer very little in terms of pass defense, something Wilson excelled at. 

Like before 2020, when the Bengals were searching for someone who could help in that area, they have been extraordinarily bad since Wilson left the starting lineup. The Bengals drafted Demetrius Knight Jr. in the second round of April’s draft. Covering tight ends was not a part of the plan. Or, it shouldn’t have been.

The selection of Barrett Carter in the fourth round was more of an insurance policy against Wilson's injury. Carter had more success in college and coverage than Knight did. In his four years at Clemson, he had three interceptions and 21 passes defended. 

While that is decent, it is nowhere near the numbers that Wilson produced in college. And Carter's film backs that up.

While not all of us play fantasy football, the stats that come from it are invaluable. In the last five games, the Bengals have been the worst at giving up fantasy points to tight ends. 

Some even predicted a big game from tight end Colston Loveland while admonishing the Bengals’ defense. 

With the horrible play of the linebackers and safeties, expect that trend to continue. Fantasy players have already looked ahead and identified the Bengals’ defense as a mark, not dissimilar to an alleged, illegal poker game involving NBA personnel. 

As bad as the Bengals’ defense has been playing, perhaps the FBI should look into that as well. 

Don’t expect Bengals defense to get much better after the bye

Much like with the rest of the defense, there is not much hope that Cincinnati will be able to cover tight ends moving forward.

With Wilson and Dallas, they're isn't a linebacker on the roster who can come close to providing what he gave the team. Now that the trade that line in the rearview mirror, the reinforcements are next to none.

The only change we can hope for at this point is more of what we've seen from Dax Hill in tight ends in man-to-man. But good luck when they go to zone defense or try to rely on their linebackers to cover tight ends.

Trade made sense and made pass defense more vulnerable

Yes, the trade will allow the young linebackers to get more playing time. But that is just as ridiculous as saying trade Trey Hendrickson so Shemar Stewart and Cedric Johnson can get more snaps. 

At least, it sounds absurd for anyone who did not think as highly of those rookie linebackers as the scouting and personnel department did.

While trading Wilson was a logical step after his benching, it is less understandable given that he is still better than the options currently on the field.

The fans finally have their ire fixed on who is ultimately responsible, which is Duke Tobin, and those who advise him on the players to scout in the draft.

Now we must count on that crew to find another Logan Wilson-esque linebacker who can help solve the issue of competently defending tight ends and help prevent what happened on Sunday against Chicago’s rookie, Loveland.

Unfortunately, Al Golden can no longer look to Wilson for help or hope in that department.

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