ESPN Analyst Bill Barnwell Names Bengals Defender TJ Slaton One of NFL's Top Luxuries

CINCINNATI — The Bengals made one big addition to the defense this offseason: Defensive tackle TJ Slaton. ESPN's Bill Barnwell loves the top skill set he's bringing to the Queen City.

Barnwell picked Slaton as his "two-down defensive tackle" among 11 top players at specialized roles.

"The Bengals signed Slaton to a two-year, $14.1 million deal this offseason, and while that's not exactly Dak Prescott or Josh Allen money, it's a testament to the difference the 2021 fifth-round pick made in his role with the Packers," Barnwell wrote. "Listed at 330 pounds, it's no surprise that Slaton was asked to do the dirty work on early downs against the run. Last season, he played about 45% of Green Bay's snaps on first and second down, but that fell to just under 19% of the snaps on third and fourth downs. With two sacks and seven quarterback knockdowns over his four seasons in Green Bay, Slaton isn't going to show off a series of nuanced pass-rush moves. What he can do is control gaps and maul the player in front of him when asked.

"In 2024, Slaton's 45.5% run stop win rate on the interior led all defenders, just ahead of highly compensated tackles D.J. Jones, Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner. The highlight of his season might have been a fourth-and-goal snap in the fourth quarter against the Dolphins, where Slaton drove the guard backward, drew a holding penalty and pressured Tua Tagovailoa into the arms of Quay Walker for a drive-ending sack. It wasn't pretty, but it sure was effective. Slaton's not going to be a replacement for Trey Hendrickson or even former Bengals tackle DJ Reader, but for a team that ranked 30th in EPA per play against designed runs last season, Slaton was a much-needed addition."

Plugging up that run game is one of the top priorities for Cincinnati's defense this fall, along with a more stable performance from the secondary. The linebackers struggled below their normal production last season in part due to no resistance at the first level.

Slaton should help turn that resistance in the right direction starting in September.

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