Thank goodness Cincinnati Bengals training camp is opening soon. Because this writer is running out of ways to articulate just how awful their defense was last season.
Much of the blame fell at the feet of first-year defensive coordinator Al Golden. Perhaps some of that is warranted. However, given how unprecedentedly proactive the Bengals were to bolster their defense this offseason, it was clear the organization recognized Golden didn't have the horses, so to speak, to execute his scheme.
All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence is the obvious special addition to the fold. What could really be a game-changer for Cincinnati, though, is solidifying a versatile linchpin position. A sort of ace in the hole Golden couldn't play from the hand he was dealt in 2025.
Bengals' offseason gives DC Al Golden the players he needs at exotic, hybrid position
Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic responded to fans' pre-training camp questions in a mailbag column, one of whom asked about the "Viper" position on the Bengals' defense.
You'd be forgiven for not knowing what that is, because Golden couldn't really unveil it last year. Or when he tried to, disaster struck. Well, disaster kind of struck on just about every other play for that porous Cincinnati unit.
Anywho, the additions of Boye Mafe and Cashius Howell give the Bengals at least two edge defenders with enough chops to play defensive end and the functional athleticism in space to drop in coverage. Dehner further explains below:
"[Golden] wanted players like Mafe and Howell in his scheme and didn’t have them last year. Hence, you’d see Joseph Ossai or Myles Murphy 15 yards downfield far too often and looking silly because of it. Bringing the 'Viper' position to life will give them versatility without substitution, morphing from a 4-3 to a 3-4 in a single shift and having the players to execute it. Plus, the general havoc expected to be created by the defensive line along with familiarity of the system in Year 2 makes everyone a step better. Golden made it clear most of last year he was attempting to run the simplest version of his defense imaginable because that’s what that young group required."
Mafe is indeed a freak show. He comes to Cincinnati fresh off a Super Bowl run with the Seattle Seahawks. Their elite defense relegated Mafe to rotational duties.
Going back to the athletic profile from Mafe's draft. Fits with how #Bengals approach that position athletically, despite being a touch smaller than their traditional edges.
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) March 9, 2026
Was the 8th pick of the second round by the Seahawks in 2022. https://t.co/dQVAhw6ATp
if this gives you any idea of just how good Seattle's D is, Mafe couldn't crack the starting lineup despite having a nine-sack season on his resume from his second year as a pro in 2023. The 27-year-old had six sacks in 2024, too.
Then we have the latest SEC Defensive Player of the Year in Howell. You could feel Golden's eager giddiness for the Bengals' latest top draft pick, as he explained right after Howell was drafted that he'd cross-train as a defensive end and off-ball linebacker. AKA the "Viper" position we've been talking about.
The Bengals could be presenting all kinds of different fronts, even mixing in 5-2 looks wherein Howell or Mafe drop out as linebackers. Either of them could also move around pre-snap, or stunt post-snap, to create exotic games in the trenches and complex simulated pressures.
Trey Hendrickson may be gone, but the unlocking of Golden's Viper position could make this Cincinnati pass rush far more versatile, multifaceted, and unpredictable. Lawrence's presence will be a vacuum for opposing pass protection units, and should make it a waking nightmare for them to account for all the dynamic defenders Golden can throw at them.
If Mafe and Howell see significant snaps at the Viper spot, that could enhance Shemar Stewart's chances to take a big step forward in Year 2. The more experience Shemar can get purely on the edge, and the less he can think and just wreak havoc with his incredible athletic profile, the better off the Bengals will be overall. That'll bode well for the 2025 first-round pick's ongoing development, too.
Anyone else getting hyped about what this defense might look like now that Golden actually has some DUDES to work with? I sure am.
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