The Cincinnati Bengals pulled off one of the biggest moves in their franchises history on Saturday, trading the 10th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft for Dexter Lawrence, one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL.
Lawrence did have a down year in 2025, but some have wondered if he was simply checked-out in New York. Now starting a new era with what could be an AFC juggernaut, Lawrence joins a re-made defense that could breakout in 2026.
With this trade in the books, let's check out the Bengals starting defense.
Cincinnati Bengals starting defense following major Dexter Lawrence trade
Defensive Line: Boye Mafe, Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, Myles Murphy
The Bengals defensive line suddenly looks like a strength with both pass-rushing and run-stopping upside. With Lawrence in the mix, the other new addition in Jonathan Allen form a lethal interior duo that should be able to feast against the run and help the outside rushers get home.
Boye Mafe came over in free agency after a rather solid stint with the Seattle Seahawks, but he did fall out of favor a bit in 2025. Myles Murphy really came on in year three, finishing with 5.5 sacks and 10 quarterback hits after combining for three sacks and seven quarterback hits in the two years prior.
At this point, the only addition the Bengals could make would be of the depth kind, as this starting unit is ready to roll.
Linebackers: Demetrius Knight Jr., Barrett Carter, Oren Burks
The linebacker group is nothing special, but the Bengals did trot out two rookies in Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter for 2025. While neither one really jumped off the page, they both were able to fill up the stat sheet, so that has to be good for something. In 2026, it's reasonable to expect both players to take a leap forward.
However, it wouldn't be a bad idea for Cincy to further address this room with one of their earlier remaining picks, as we've seen notable additions along the defensive line and in the secondary. With the linebackers being right in the middle of all the action, this unit does need a boost.
Secondary: Dax Hill, Jordan Battle, Bryan Cook, DJ Turner II
The Bengals have a trio of home-grown players here on the backend with Dax Hill, Jordan Battle, and DJ Turner II. All three showed some promise in 2025. Adding Bryan Cook on the backend at safety thanks to the free agency market could really help this unit come together in a nice way.
There really isn't room for a starting addition right now, but some depth pieces could be brought in.
The main idea here, though, is that this defense has gotten a lot better over the past couple of months. It does feel quite similar to that 2021 offseason where a similar thing happened on defense, and the improvement across the board helped Cincy reach the Super Bowl.
You can tell the Bengals front office felt a bit of pressure this offseason, and they've responded nicely.
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