The Cincinnati Bengals' defense has dragged the team down in each of the last three seasons, but the organization has made a couple of moves this offseason to change that.

So far, the Bengals have signed safety Bryan Cook, defensive end Boye Mafe, and defensive tackle Jonathan Allen. Maye and Cook are each now on their second contracts, while Allen is a 31-year-old veteran who played for the Minnesota Vikings last season after spending 2017 to 2024 with the Washington Commanders.

Mafe is coming off a Super Bowl-winning campaign with the Seattle Seahawks, who drafted him No. 40 overall out of the University of Minnesota in 2022. The 27-year-old has 164 tackles and 20 sacks over 65 career games.

Cincinnati needs Mafe to be a force off the edge moving forward after star pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson signed with the Baltimore Ravens in free agency. Letting the 31-year-old walk freed up cap space to add depth, as the organization handed Mafe a three-year, $60 million deal, Cook a three-year, $40.2 million deal, and Allen a two-year, $25 million deal. Meanwhile, Hendrickson made $29 million last season alone and inked a four-year, $112 million contract with Baltimore on March 11.

However, Mafe is arguably the most important new piece given the position he plays. Other than having a star quarterback, having a pass-rusher that consistently gets to the opposing signal-caller can be the biggest difference between winning and losing.

Mafe won't fill Hendrickson's shoes alone, but he can be part of the solution. The Minnesota native's 146 pressures and 41 run stops over the past three seasons rank in the top third in both categories among edge rushers, per PFF. Combine that level of skill with Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart, and the Bengals may give offensive lines fits.

Murphy notched a career-high 5.5 sacks and 52 tackles as a third-year veteran in 2025, while Stewart played just eight games as a rookie due to injury. However, Cincinnati took Murphy in the first round of the 2023 draft and Stewart in the first round of the 2025 draft. Offenses having to account for Mafe could make life easier on both players, who would each be cheaper stars than Hendrickson if they break out anytime soon.

Murphy is on the right trajectory, as he more than doubled his career-high tackle amount last season. On the other hand, Stewart earned All-SEC honors with Texas A&M in 2024 when he led the squad with 39 pressures and seven quarterback hurries. The 6-foot-5, 267-pounder needs to prove it in the NFL, but he'll have every chance to do so moving forward.

Letting an elite pass-rusher walk to a division rival after finishing 30th in scoring defense was a risky move by the Bengals, but they'll have nothing to worry about if Mafe, Murphy, and Stewart become a productive trio.