Bengals’ biggest need to address in 2026 NFL Draft after failing to find it in free agency

Much to the surprise of the fanbase, the Cincinnati Bengals had quite an eventful offseason. After a truly unacceptable 2025 season from the defense, Cincinnati went through free agency to try to address their many needs on that side of the ball. While they lost some pieces as well (most notably, pass rusher Trey Hendrickson), the team made some great moves to bolster their defense.

That being said, the Bengals still are lacking in some areas of the defense. Let’s look at the moves the Bengals have made and what else they need to do at the 2026 NFL Draft to build their defense.

Bengals focus on defense in the offseason

It’s no surprise that the Bengals chose to focus on their defense this offseason. Their defense was the second-worst unit in the 2025 season in terms of yards allowed. They struggled to get pressure on the quarterback, they weren’t able to contain the run, and they were unable to tackle properly. It was clear that the team needed a complete restructure on that end.

The Bengals did get some great players to fill out their roster on defense. Safety Bryan Cook and EDGE Boye Mafe are the two contenders for the best free agent signing Cincinnati made this offseason. Cook will be a much-needed upgrade at safety after Geno Stone’s disastrous stint in Ohio. The Cincinnati native’s sure tackling and excellent coverage skills make him the perfect addition to the lineup. Mafe, on the other hand, will help fill the void left by Hendrickson in free agency. In a lot of ways, the Mafe signing mirrors the Hendrickson signing in 2021: an up-and-coming pass rusher who will be given a larger role with the Bengals.

The Bengals also signed defensive tackle Jonathan Allen to help out their interior defensive line. They also signed Josh Johnson to be one of their backup quarterbacks. That being said, the Bengals’ defensive rebuild isn’t over yet. The front seven, in particular, is still not quite up to par with other teams.

Bengals need to target defensive line, linebackers in 2026 NFL Draft

The Bengals’ first four picks in the NFL Draft need to be aimed at improving their defensive line and their linebacker group. Last season, Cincinnati struggled to generate pressure on the quarterback. Once Hendrickson got injured, they were unable to get to the quarterback. They finished the season with a 20.9% pressure rate, 10th worst in the league.

Their run defense was also atrocious, allowing the second-most rushing yards in the league. The Bengals’ porous run defense can be attributed to their linebackers’ tackling issues: Demetrius Knight and Barrett Carter both finished with a missed-tackle rate above 10%. Because of the duo’s struggles, many fans wanted Cincinnati to go for a Leo Chenal or Devin Lloyd in free agency to bolster their linebacker group.

Alas, the Bengals missed out on signing either player… or any linebacker, for that matter. Because of that, Cincinnati is hoping to snag an impact player at that position in the NFL draft. After signing Cook, one could imagine that the Bengals’ top priority in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft is to get Sonny Styles. The rangy linebacker will be a massive boost to the roster, particularly in their run defense. After Styles’ excellent Combine performance, it’s hard to see him fall to the Bengals at 10, but if he’s there, he should be the no-brainer pick.

Day 2 of the draft should be spent on bolstering their pass rush. Their last two first-round picks, Shemar Stewart and Myles Murphy, have displayed some improvements in that department, but you can never have too many pass rushers. The Bengals could also find another linebacker at this point in the draft.

Does this mean that the Bengals shouldn’t pick any other position in the draft? Of course not. At this point, the Bengals need all the help on defense that they can get. Even if Styles doesn’t fall to them, taking a player like Caleb Downs to complement Cook or Mansoor Delane to pair with DJ Turner would be nice. However, if they get the chance to pick up more front seven players… Cincinnati should not hesitate.

The post Bengals’ biggest need to address in 2026 NFL Draft after failing to find it in free agency appeared first on ClutchPoints.