With the combine upon us, the general manager made it clear what the plan is to upgrade the lackluster defense from 2025.
The NFL Combine has officially arrived, and the Cincinnati Bengals need to take note of all the potential picks they will make to bring this franchise back to playoff and Super Bowl contention. With the 10th pick in the first round of the April 23rd NFL Draft, general manager Duke Tobin must ensure that the right pick is made for a player who is ready to have an immediate impact. 2025 first-round pick Shemar Stewart was statistically ranked last in the NFL in first-round rookie impact rating, and this defense must be turned around this offseason.
This defense isn’t just poor, it’s statistically one of the worst in the league. It ranked within the bottom three teams in the NFL last season in opponent points per game and per play, opponent yards per game and per play, opponent touchdowns per game, opponent rush yards per game, and yards per rush. It’s imperative that Tobin and the Bengals front office use every measure available to upgrade nearly every position on that side of the football.
Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle T.J. Slaton Jr. (98) and defensive end Shemar Stewart (97) | © Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Ahead of the Combine in Indianapolis, the general manager spoke with the media and detailed his full trust in defensive coordinator Al Golden’s vision for the defense.
“I’ve always been very impressed with Al [Golden],” said Tobin. “He can take what he has and make a good defense out of it. He can, and I believe that, and I think he will do that. He has a vision for what he wants to be, and it’s my job to go out and fill the needs that will fulfill that vision that he has … Do I have 100% confidence that we’ll get that done together? I do, I believe in Al, I believe in [head coach] Zac [Taylor], and I think their vision is the right vision, and it’s on the guys in the personnel department, with their help, to go out and identify guys, and then see if we can get them signed.”
After multiple years of hesitancy in signing big-time contracts, both to desired exterior players as well as Bengals who are looking to re-sign, this is quite a bold statement. Not only is he putting immense pressure on the defensive coordinator, who is going into his second year in the role, but he’s also setting himself up for failure if he’s unable to make key draft selections, free agent signings, or trades to prepare the defense to be playoff-caliber.
Whether he wants to admit it or not, it’s evident that the franchise has been very passive in its attempts to better the roster after missing the playoffs for three years in a row. It seems, though, that Tobin feels the pressure from the fans and media to succeed now, after discussing his intentions going into this offseason.
“I’ve been doing this a long time, I’ve never not been all in,” said Tobin. “We are trying to get the best team possible with the resources we have. Last year, we went all in. We signed over $400 million worth of contracts, going all in. That’s what we do, we want to be all in. We’re trying to put the best roster together every year, and this year’s no different.”
Although it isn’t the first move to be made for Tobin this offseason, the elephant in the room is the situation regarding superstar edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. While he is anticipated to receive a contract upwards of $30 million annually or more, it’s expected that the Bengals will use their franchise tag on him, before ultimately deciding to re-sign or trade him. However, Tobin declared that nothing is off the table (via Mike Petraglia).