2 best players Bengals must target during 2026 NFL free agency

It’s that time of the year for the Cincinnati Bengals. For the last few years, the theme of the Bengals’ offseason has been one of two things: fixing the offensive line or finding a solution to their defense. While the Bengals never had a shutdown defense in the Joe Burrow era, their defense before had been passable enough.

That has not been the case for the last few years. The departure of Jessie Bates in free agency was the turning point in this team’s fortune. The Bengals went from a good-ish defensive team to one of the worst in league history.

It’s not like the Bengals have not tried to fix their defense: every year, the Bengals take shots in free agency and in the draft to plug the holes in their roster. However, these moves have not done anything to improve their fortunes on that end. In fact, one can argue that the Bengals have gotten worse due to these moves.

Coming into the 2026 season, the Bengals have a chance to address their defense once again. The offensive line has stabilized well enough under Burrow that it doesn’t require much attention in the offseason. Let’s look at the free agents that the Bengals should target this offseason.

Bryan Cook, S

We mentioned Jessie Bates earlier and the impact that his absence has had on the Bengals’ defense. Bates was arguably the heart of the defense during Cincinnati’s two deep playoff runs in 2021 and 2022. With a reliable safety in the secondary to plug up the holes and cover for his teammates, the Bengals succeeded in limiting opposing offenses.

After the Bengals refused to extend Bates’ contract, they went to the draft and free agency to try to find a new safety for the team. The problem is that these picks have not quite panned out. Dax Hill was drafted as a potential safety, but he didn’t find success in that position and has transitioned into a solid cornerback. In 2024, the Bengals decided to sign former Baltimore Ravens safety Geno Stone, and that turned out to be an even bigger disaster.

This time around, the Bengals need to learn from their mistake with Jessie Bates and sign a top-flight safety. The best safety in the free agent class is Bryan Cook. Cook, a Cincinnati native who also played for the Bearcats in college, will be a likely cap casualty for Kansas City. That doesn’t mean that he’s a bad player: far from it, actually. He’s recorded 3 interceptions, 15 passes defended, 2 fumble recoveries, a sack, 4 tackles for loss, and 238 tackles. He’s also an integral part of the Chiefs’ two Super Bowl wins.

The Bengals arguably had two strong safeties playing last season with Stone and Jordan Battle. With Cook on the team, Battle can move into his natural position as strong safety and thrive.

Jaelan Phillips, EDGE

The Bengals’ saga with Trey Hendrickson last offseason was frustrating to witness. While it eventually ended in Hendrickson staying with the team on the franchise tag, everyone knew that the star pass rusher was gone after the 2025 season. An injury-filled season and a refusal to use the franchise tag on him signaled exactly that.

That could be a boon for the Bengals: Hendrickson is 31 years old and dealt with injuries that sidelined him for the second half of the season. He was productive the year prior, but betting on a 31-year-old pass rusher is a dangerous prospect. The Bengals can afford to get younger, but they’ll also have to be smart with their pick to replace Hendrickson.

Jaelan Phillips is an intriguing option and is arguably the best pass-rusher in this year’s free agent class. He’s just 26 years old and has a few more prime years left in him, and he could be available at a reasonable price for the Bengals. While he hasn’t reached the highs of his rookie year (where he recorded 8.5 sacks for the Dolphins), he was solid for the Eagles after being traded to Philadelphia midseason. Phillips should add some much-needed juice on the defensive line as the Bengals’ young pass-rushers ease into their role.

The post 2 best players Bengals must target during 2026 NFL free agency appeared first on ClutchPoints.