As the Cincinnati Bengals gear up for a potential push for the Super Bowl, there are a few players who could really make all the difference by making strides in their development.
One of the biggest factors when it comes to offseason additions is how it affects other players on the team, especially the younger guys. Sometimes, talent is added to the roster at the expense of having a negative effect on incumbent players.
For instance, a late Day 3 pick from the previous year gets pushed off the roster because the room became overcrowded after free agency and the draft, or a promising rookie seeing a reduced role in their sophomore campaign and having their development stunted as a result.
However, more often than not, these acquisitions have a positive impact on younger players, whether by giving them a veteran presence to learn from or simply by being talented enough to take some of the load off their shoulders.
And the Bengals added a lot of veteran talent this offseason, most notably making the uncharacteristic trade for Dexter Lawrence —a player who is still considered top-5 at a position the Bengals desperately needed some juice in.
So, keeping in mind both the moves they made and the standard of expecting development from these younger players, here are three Bengals who will take leaps in 2026.
All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference.
Shemar Stewart
Stewart's rookie season was filled to the brim with turmoil and drama. From the selection being widely panned by critics, experts, and fans alike, to an early contract dispute and standoff before he even participated in a single practice, to a season of nagging injuries and minimal production. In short, Shemar Stewart's rookie year was about as worst-case-scenario as it gets.
Thus, it should only be up from here.
Something that has flown under the radar regarding the Dexter Lawrence trade and Jonathan Allen signings is how much it'll help the Bengals' young EDGE room, most notably Stewart.
It's no secret that the Bengals have lacked consistent and effective pass rush from the interior defensive line, which naturally allowed opposing offenses to focus their efforts on keeping the defensive ends in check. Now, they don't have that luxury.
Even if Lawrence and Allen had down years relative to the rest of their career, they were still, far and away, better pass rushers than anyone Cincinnati had at DT.
Also, for how much headache came with Stewart's first year in the NFL, it wasn't entirely bleak. His big problem was finishing tackles and sacks, but he was still able to get some pressure on the quarterback, as PFF credits him with 13 in his 8 games. More production is absolutely feasible for Shemar's sophomore campaign, with offensive lines focused on stopping their new 340lb nose tackle.
With all of this in mind, the Texas A&M alum should absolutely take major strides in his development in this upcoming NFL season.
Demetrius Knight Jr.
Demetrius Knight Jr.'s rookie season, similarly, was a disappointing one, though it was disappointing for strictly football reasons. The former Gamecock-- alongside fellow rookie Barrett Carter-- was graded as one of the worst linebackers in football in 2025, struggling in coverage and as a tackler.
Like Stewart, though, despite his overall poor performance, D-Knight did show a lot of flashes down the stretch to finish the season with 106 tackles, 3.0 sacks, and two interceptions. The tools are there for Knight to leap in 2026, especially with a better supporting cast around him.
Ignoring the previously mentioned signings on the defensive line, Cincy's front office also went out and added to the secondary with Bryan Cook, who was the top safety in free agency, and Kyle Dugger. These additions to the defense should take pressure off of Demetrius Knight Jr. and allow for more room for error.
The only thing that would make him break out even more likely would be if they acquired one of the few remaining quality veteran linebackers, such as Bobby Wagner.
Erick All Jr.
There are a lot of reasons for the Cincinnati faithful to be excited for the upcoming season, not least of which is the return of 2024 fourth-round pick Erick All Jr. After displaying glimpses of his potential as both a reliable pass-catcher and a dynamic blocker,
All would, unfortunately, suffer a knee injury midway through his rookie season that would keep him out for not only the rest of the 2024-25 season, but the following year as well.
Now, the Iowa alum is looking primed for a bounce-back year in his third NFL season, granted he stays healthy. While there are a lot of bodies in the Bengals' tight end room-- including 2026 7th round pick Jack Endries out of Texas-- there's no reason to suspect that Erick is the odd man out, given his work ethic and the versatility he offers.
Not to mention, the Bengals need someone who can do a little bit of both. Mike Gesicki is a pure receiving tight end to the point that many people consider him more so as a slot receiver. Drew Sample is a blocking specialist through and through, who offers very little as a receiving threat. Although we've only seen nine games from All, he did show that he could do both — and potentially at a high level, too.
The health of any given player is always an "if", but if the former Hawkeye can avoid the injury bug that has plagued him throughout college and early in his professional career, he'll no doubt develop nicely in this high-powered offense.
Those are three young Bengals who should break out in 2026. Who do you think has the best chance of doing so?
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