Bengals Add To Linebacker Position Following 2026 NFL Draft

The Bengals made a linebacker addition to the roster!

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero noted the team signed former Cincinnati linebacker Jack Dingle to an undrafted free agent deal after the 2026 NFL Draft.

Linebacker has been in the crosshairs for most fans all offseason, and this is an interesting flyer on a longtime Bearcat. Dingle started 10 games for Cincinnati this past season and tallied three sacks, plus 60 tackles (25 solo), which ranked fifth on the team.

A Position Under Scrutiny

Cincinnati Bearcats linebacker Jack Dingle (49) tackles Baylor Bears wide receiver Jonah Burton (17) in the second quarter during a college football game between the Baylor Bears and the Cincinnati Bearcats, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati. | Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Dingle is not ranked on Arif Hasan's consensus big board, which goes up to 300 total players ranked.

Zac Taylor noted after the draft that the offseason fell this way to have Cincinnati not ultimately bring in big help at linebacker (yet). There are still plenty of free agents on the market, headlined by All-Pro Bobby Wagner.

“That’s how it can fall,” assistant general manager Steven Radicevic said on Saturday. “We had linebackers stacked in free agency. We had linebackers stacked in the draft we would have taken. That’s just the way it falls. We are happy with the players we took in free agency. Looking back on it at this point, I don’t think we would go back and change anything we’ve done in free agency or the draft. I feel like we’ve gotten good value.”

Al Golden discussed the position this weekend as well.

“I think so. Like I said the other day, I think where they’re starting from is two 100-tackle seasons," The Bengals defensive coordinator said about this draft being a vote of confidence in the position. "I think there are a lot of clubs around the league that would say, ‘Man, if I could start with two guys in year two with 100 tackles, I’d love to work with that.’ They’re grateful for the commitment, obviously — from upstairs, and what they’ve been fortified around them. And then obviously, Jon (Jonathan) Allen and those guys all understand, ‘Hey, we’ll get you right. We’re here for you. We’re going to make this good.’ And that’s great to see.”

Cincinnati will announce its full UDFA signee list sometime this weekend. The team used seven draft picks this weekend, and added Dexter Lawrence in a blockbuster trade to set this roster up as best as possible entering the next phase of the offseason.

Jack Dingle is a LB prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 9.82 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 65 out of 3460 LB from 1987 to 2026.https://t.co/FvjagUF5bb pic.twitter.com/gGoxszCYea
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 6, 2026

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