The Cincinnati Bengals have been trying to get back on track for the last few years. They have made valuable additions, but haven’t seen the expected result. There’s no denying that the Bengals have had a rough stretch over the last decade.
They have made just two playoff appearances in the last 10 years. Adding new players, strengthening the bench, and coaching changes, the Bengals have tried it all. Cincinnati’s defense has been a major point of concern.
They made a lot of effort, trying to give a new identity to their defense. They signed players like Boye Mafe, Dexter Lawrence, Bryan Cook, Jonathan Allen, Ja’Sir Taylor, and Kyle Dugger. The Bengals also brought in Cashius Howell and Tacario Davis through the draft.
As a result, their defense now looks a lot stronger than it did before. Although they are far from being the best, there are a lot of strong players on the roster who can help the Bengals when the next season rolls out.
One would expect the Bengals to get a better defensive rating based on the changes they have made. However, Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport has ranked them among the worst defenses in the league.
In his recent report, Davenport has put the Bengals at No. 28 among 32 teams. He referred to their disappointing run over the last few years and acknowledged the efforts they have made this offseason. However, it wasn’t enough for Davenport to rank them higher on his list.
The Bengals are ranked above the Miami Dolphins, the Arizona Cardinals, the Washington Commanders, and the New York Jets. The Bengals’ ranking can be debated because even though their track record doesn’t give them any hope, the new additions must be taken into account, which should ideally put them somewhere in the middle of a 32-team list.
Gary Davenport’s Comments on the Cincinnati Bengals
Davenport wrote that the Bengals had a “potent offense” and an “awful defense” last year. He talked about the signing of new players to strengthen the team’s defensive core.
“The Bengals made a concerted effort to change that in 2026—especially along the defensive front. Boye Mafe got $20 million a season to replace Trey Hendrickson on the edge. Cincinnati sent the 10th overall pick to New York for defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Veteran tackle Jonathan Allen was signed, and Texas A&M edge-rusher Cashius Howell came to the Queen City via a second-rounder,” he wrote.
Davenport isn’t convinced with the renewed lineup because Mafe only had two sacks last year, Lawrence had the worst year of his career, Allen is past his prime, and Howell doesn’t have the frame to be a defensive threat.
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