Cincinnati Bengals’ 2026 Free Agency Haul Gets Underwhelming Grades

CINCINNATI — The 2026 free-agency frenzy is mostly wrapped up for the NFL's 32 teams, and Cincinnati made three big additions along the way.

Boye Mafe, Bryan Cook, and Jonathan Allen should all slot into big roles for the Bengals' defense this fall. Let's assess how the NFL media community graded the free-agency haul Cincinnati accumulated over the past week.

Pro Football Focus: B

Bryan Cook and Boye Mafe: Very Good

Jonathan Allen: Below Average

"Cook's 83.5 PFF overall grade in 2025 ranked fourth among all safeties," the site stated. "Meanwhile, the Bengals‘ starting safeties ranked tied for 57th and 72nd. This moves the needle for Cincinnati's defense, giving it a sure tackler who notched PFF grades above 80.0 both against the run and in coverage last season. The Bengals make their second addition of the tampering period's first day, and it's another strong move to boost their defense. Mafe has earned a PFF overall grade above 70.0 and produced 40 or more pressures in each of the past three seasons. Given that Trey Hendrickson won't return to Cincinnati, this was a shrewd move at a reasonable price, all things considered.

"Allen's PFF grade over the past three seasons has been below 60.0, but has been driven by his struggles against the run. Despite slowing down a bit as a pass-rusher, he still earned a 64.9 PFF pass-rush grade last year, which ranked 47th out of the 113 interior defenders with 300 or more snaps in 2025. The problem is that it's a lot of money for someone who is on the downside of their career and is likely best suited to a rotational role that keeps him fresh to rush the passer."

Sporting News: B

"The Bengals knew Hendrickson was gone and went smart for the upside of Mafe to replace him. Cook is also the playmaking safety they have needed since Jessie Bates III left," Vinny Iyer wrote.

Bengals defensive end Boye Mafe speaks to the media during a press conference at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Thursday, March 12, 2026. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

CBS Sports: B-

"The Bengals, typically known as penny pinchers, opened up the checkbook to address two key areas of need on their 30th-ranked scoring defense from 2025 (28.9 points per game allowed): Safety and defensive line. Bryan Cook has been a versatile chess piece in Steve Spagnuolo's Kansas City Chiefs defense the last three seasons," Garrett Podell wrote. "The signings of edge rusher Boye Mafe (three years, $60 million with $19 million guaranteed) and two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jonathan Allen (two years, $26 million) are key.

"Mafe was relegated to being a rotational player in Mike Macdonald's Seattle Seahawks defense, so his return to being a full-time player could yield critical results for Cincinnati. He produced a career-high 9.0 sacks in his second NFL season back in 2023, Pete Carroll's last year in charge. Allen is looking to recapture his Washington form after being asked to just plug holes and play blocks in Brian Flores' Minnesota Vikings scheme in 2025. However, the Bengals still need more help on defense following the departure of Hendrickson to the Ravens and need help at both linebacker and other areas in the defensive backfield."

Check out our free-agency takeaways from Jay Morrison here.

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