A star-studded rotation of five elite pass rushers fights for two starting spots on the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Cincinnati Bengals enter the 2026 season with the deepest edge-rusher group they have assembled in years, and face perhaps their most consequential training camp battles. Four legitimate pass rushers are competing for two starting jobs, while a former first-round pick and a highly touted rookie are pushing for larger roles in a rotation that could become one of the team’s biggest strengths.
According to ESPN’s projected depth chart, Boye Mafe is listed as the starting left defensive end with Shemar Stewart behind him, while Myles Murphy opens as the starting right defensive end, with rookie Cashius Howell as his backup ahead of Isaiah Foskey. This creates a group of five viable edge rushers competing for meaningful snaps in Al Golden’s defense.
The projection of Mafe and Murphy as the Week 1 starters is the most logical outcome entering camp. Mafe was one of Cincinnati’s biggest defensive additions in free agency, signing a deal worth $20 million annually. He arrives fresh off a Super Bowl championship with the Seattle Seahawks, with four years of NFL experience, proven production, and the type of veteran presence that naturally places him atop the depth chart.
Murphy, meanwhile, is coming off the most productive season of his career. After battling injuries early in his tenure, he recorded 5.5 sacks and 41 total pressures in 2025, finally showing the flashes that made him a first-round pick. Both players have earned the right to enter camp as the projected starters.
The most intriguing subplot is where Cashius Howell fits into the rotation. The second-round pick out of Texas A&M arrives after a dominant final college season in which he recorded 11.5 sacks, earned unanimous All-American honors, and was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
Howell’s role may ultimately be more important than his place on the depth chart. At 6-foot-2 and 253 pounds with an explosive first step, his profile resembles Mafe’s more than Murphy’s. With Golden expected to lean heavily on a 3-4 structure, Howell projects as the type of situational pass rusher who could quickly carve out 35 to 40 snaps per game rather than serving as a traditional backup.
Sports Illustrated recently identified Shemar Stewart as the X-factor for Cincinnati’s defensive ceiling in 2026. The former first-round pick enters his second season with enormous upside but plenty still to prove.
Stewart possesses rare physical tools at 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, but his rookie season yielded only one sack after a contract holdout and knee injury disrupted his development. The Bengals remain optimistic about his long-term outlook. Mafe has publicly praised Stewart’s potential, a notable endorsement from a player who experienced a similar second-year breakout after recording just three sacks early in his own career before developing into a high-level pass rusher.
On paper, Mafe and Murphy seem like the correct choices to open the season as starters. The more significant challenge for Golden will be managing the rotation behind them.
The ideal setup likely involves a four-man edge rotation. Howell should see extensive work in obvious passing situations, while Stewart can contribute in early-down packages where his size and athleticism help against the run. Keeping Murphy in the 45-to-50 snap range rather than pushing him into a full-time workload could also help maintain his effectiveness throughout games.
With Dexter Lawrence commanding attention on the interior and multiple capable edge rushers rotating outside, Cincinnati has the personnel to keep opposing quarterbacks under pressure from the opening drive to the final possession.
Training camp will answer many of the looming questions surrounding Cincinnati’s edge rush dilemma, and will ultimately determine how those snaps are distributed.
