Bengals linebackers ranked third-worst in the NFL
CINCINNATI — The Bengals have completely remade their defense this offseason. They added talent on all three levels, but aggressively addressed the linebacker position.
It has been one of their biggest weaknesses in recent years. They signed Josh Bynes in free agency and selected three linebackers in the draft.
Despite their offseason additions, the Bengals' backers were ranked 30th in Pro Football Focus' rankings.
"The Bengals linebacking corps has the lowest grade in the NFL over the last two years, and they have heavily addressed the position in the draft over that span," Steve Palazoolo wrote. "They drafted Germaine Pratt in the third round of the 2019 draft, but he struggled to a 51.0 overall grade as a rookie. And Jordan Evans was showing signs that he could turn around his coverage woes after two years of grading in the 30s, but he was limited to just 76 snaps last season.
Pratt and Evans will compete with third-round pick Logan Wilson and fourth-rounder Akeem Davis-Gaither. Wilson has an old-school build; he can play the run and looked good in Wyoming’s simple coverage schemes. Davis-Gaither played more of a hybrid role at Appalachian State, rushing the passer 190 times to go with 316 snaps in coverage, and he’s a smooth mover who should add subpackage versatility, though he must improve his tackling after missing 33 tackles over the last two years.
Josh Bynes also comes over from the Baltimore Ravens, where he posted a career-high 80.0 overall grade across 428 snaps last season. He’s done his best work against the run, grading at 70.0 or better in all but one year of his eight-year career. It’s still not the most exciting linebacking corps in the league, but the Bengals have intriguing youth combined with veteran role players who should make this unit better."
The Bengals have plenty of uncertainty at the linebacker position. They went after established veterans like Joe Schobert in free agency, but he ultimately signed a five-year, $53.75 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
They didn't mention seventh-round pick Markus Bailey, but he has a real chance to contribute on special teams right away and could be valuable on defense — especially in coverage.
If Pratt, Wilson and Davis-Gaither play to their potential, then the Bengals will be much higher in these rankings in 2021.
