The Cincinnati Bengals' linebacker corps persists as a position group of relative weakness, but they're finding a bright ray of hope from an unexpected source in Swayze Bozeman. After a strong start to training camp, Bozeman had a tackle for loss among his three total tackles and a pass deflection in Thursday's 16-14 preseason win over the Detroit Lions.
Why is this such a big deal? Well, despite the supposed second-year leaps incumbent starters Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. are making, the depth behind them is paper-thin.
Plus, even if Carter and Knight show massive improvement, they were two of the worst linebackers in the league in 2025. How much can they realistically progress, no matter how much better the defensive line is in front of them?
Suffice it to say, my next 53-man roster prediction piece is bound to feature Bozeman. Let's dive a little deeper into why he's such a wildcard.
Bozeman's path to Bengals roster completely opens up
The first Bengals depth chart release of the new season was hilarious to me due to Drew Sample's stubborn placement atop the tight end group. I saw Swayze Bozeman as a third-stringer behind Joe Giles-Harris and didn't think much of it.
Just know, fellow sicko Who Dey Heads, that I've had this Bozeman headline in the chamber since late July (trust, too, that this is provable). Glad I didn't go live with it back then!
We now have living proof that Bozeman's ascent is real. He was the MIKE/green dot alongside linebacker Oren Burks with the second-team Cincinnati defense for the majority of his preseason Week 1 action and more than held his own. Bozeman's blitz and run stop for a 4-yard loss was the notable highlight.
What a relief, folks. Why was I quietly bullish on Bozeman before this? Well, not that Relative Athletic Scores are everything, but Bozeman's 9.69 mark coming out of Southern Miss in 2024 despite a 20th percentile weight shows how elite his raw athleticism is.
RAS scores do not a great prospect make. Just look at ex-Cincinnati Bearcat and Bengals undrafted rookie Jack Dingle, my initial sleeper hopeful at linebacker. Dingle is at the very bottom of the MIKE 'backer depth chart.
With Giles-Harris established as a special teams ace — Bengals.com senior writer Geoff Hobson named him co-special teams player of the year in 2025 — and few others behind Knight and Carter showing promise, Bozeman's path to the 53-man roster is wide-open.
Bengals stars may have endorsed Swayze to Cincinnati
Similar to Dingle, Swayze Bozeman was an undrafted freak athlete who began his NFL journey in Kansas City before subsequent stints with the Bears and Giants. It's not out of the realm of possibility that big-name Bengals newcomers Bryan Cook and Dexter Lawrence vouched for Bozeman, who was claimed off waivers in May.
Cook came over to the Queen City from the Chiefs as a free agent in an epic homecoming storyline this offseason. Unless you've been living under a rock, ye Bengals supporter reading this, Lawrence was the marquee transaction of Cincinnati's new-look roster in a trade from the G-Men.
Would love to know if either had a say in Bozeman joining the fold. Regardless, somebody or somebodies in Duke Tobin's scouting department connected enough dots and thought enough of Bozeman to bring him aboard at least for a trial run during training camp. It could prove to be one of the most consequential, low-key acquisitions in recent memory.
In any event, Bozeman is in a Bengals uniform, and the linebacker position looks to be in a much better spot than expected because of him. We'll see if he can maintain his current trajectory.
Oh, and speaking of past ties to Bozeman's former teams: Guess who Cincinnati will square off with in joint practices and in Week 2 of the preseason? That's right. The Chicago Bears.
It's almost surreal how full-circle and seemingly destined Bozeman landing with the Bengals in 2026 seems to be.
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