What to Expect From The Bengals Defense in 2025

It shouldn’t be a shock to anyone that the Cincinnati Bengals' defense was abysmal last year. The Bengals ranked 19th in rush yards allowed, 22nd in passing yards allowed, and 25th in total defense and points allowed. More concerningly, the Bengals allowed just over 33 a contest against playoff teams, which would be good for dead last; they were also ranked 29th in points allowed in the fourth quarter. I mention those last two more niche stats to show how bad the Bengals' defense was when it mattered.

Despite how horrific the 2024 season was, there is reason for optimism going into this one. Starting with departures, the Bengals let Mike Hilton, Vonn Bell, Akeem Davis-Gaither, and Sheldon Rankins walk. None of these players made a true impact in 2024 and are likely out of the league soon, outside of Akeem Davis-Gaither. Dax Hill is expected to replace Hilton’s slot corner role, which should be an immediate upgrade. Hilton saw a majority of his value come from being a solid run defender and a designed blitzer, but he was underwhelming in pass coverage. Vonn Bell and Sheldon Rankins’ roles were already decreasing or gone by week 10, Bell's because of poor play, and Rankins' from an illness he couldn’t shake. Last but not least, the Cardinals signed Davis-Gaither. 

Moving to the newcomers, the Bengals added Eagles linebacker Oren Burks and Packers nose tackle T.J. Slaton. Burks is set to replace Akeem Davis-Gaither’s role, that being a rotational linebacker. Burks played better than Davis-Gaither down the stretch, but Burks' role was limited, and he was on a much better defense. If Burks can replicate his play this year, he should be a net positive. Slaton is a much more exciting move in my opinion. Slaton has never missed a game in his career; this is something the Bengals need, as they’ve consistently struggled with injuries during the later stretch of games. Slaton fits perfectly into the Bengals' defense, as he offers upside as a pass rusher, which the Bengals have lacked for a few seasons now.

The Bengals were expected to make defense a priority in the draft, and they somewhat surprisingly only used 3 of 6 selections on the defense. The draft added Shemar Stewart, Demetrius Knight, and Barrett Carter. Stewart was a massive swing to take and is expected to be a guy more impactful for the future than right now. Knight is the exact opposite; he’s expected to make an immediate impact and replace Germaine Pratt, who is likely to be cut or traded later this offseason. Carter, much like Stewart, is an unrefined athletic freak who could be an impact player if his potential is realized. 

It’s hard to be worse than the Bengals' defense was last year. Assuming Trey Hendrickson remains a Bengal, they will have 5 new starters to help improve the unit in 2025. I fully expect a jump forward in output. With that being said, I don’t foresee a jump to an elite defense, but I do think they can make noticeable improvements from last year. The defensive backs now have another year of experience, and I’m most excited to see if Cam Taylor-Britt can return to 2023 form. Three new linebackers are expected to see good time on the field; I expect improvement as Demetrius Knight can hopefully be a better version of Germaine Pratt to go alongside Logan Wilson. The defensive line is where the most improvement needs to be seen, and I’m the least confident in a jump being taken here. There’s always the worry that Hendrickson leaves; Myles Murphy hasn’t been very impactful, albeit he hasn’t gotten many opportunities, and Shemar Stewart is likely not going to turn many heads in year one. If someone like Joseph Ossai makes a big jump, maybe the Bengals' pass rush starts to look a little more threatening, but that’s far from a guarantee. I expect the defense to be just below league average, with a ceiling of 12th or so and a floor in the mid-20s.