Bengals Position Group Ranked Near Bottom of NFL After Offseason Overhaul

The Bengals have a new lead edge rusher for the 2026 season to replace Trey Hendrickson, and CBS Sports is not bullish on their chances of success there.

Writer Carter Bahns ranked all 32 edge-rushing groups entering the 2026 season, and Cincinnati checked at No. 29 overall.

Unproven Pass Rush

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Shemar Stewart speaks with defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr. (90) during minicamp, Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at Kettering Health Practice Fields in downtown Cincinnati. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

He's not very bullish on the mixture of Boye Mafe, Shemar Stewart, Myles Murphy and Cashius Howell consistently getting after opposing passers.

"While the rest of the Bengals' defense improved on paper this offseason, the edge rusher group said farewell to its leader, Trey Hendrickson," Bahns wrote. "Mafe is an upside-oriented addition who will not fully replace Hendrickson's pass-rushing prowess, but displayed flashes of greatness as a young starter for the Seattle Seahawks. The rest of the crew, plus second-round pick Cashius Howell, is extremely young. Cincinnati is banking on its last few drafts starting to pay off. It just might pay dividends, but it is impossible to know for sure until it actually happens."

It's not shocking to see this placement. Cincinnati's edge rushing group has arguably the most to prove of any unit in the AFC North this season.

They were abysmal in 2025, ranking 28th in team Pro Football Focus pass-rush grade (62.9 overall) and dead last in ESPN's Team Pass-Rush win Rate metric (29% of rushes won). It was the 24th-best pass rush by sacks (35), and 23rd by pressure rate (20.9%). That was with seven games of Trey Hendrickson as well, who was the team's highest-grade defensive player on PFF.

Defensive coordinator Al Golden knows the group needs to be more effective this fall, and adding one of the league's best pass-rushing defensive tackles should help greatly.

Dexter Lawrence has made noise in the middle consistently during his career. He's part of nearly double-digit new names on the Bengals' main depth chart.

“It’s that group together that has to come together over the next six weeks that’s going to determine our success,” Golden said to reporters last Monday. “Eight guys in an offseason is massive. That just doesn’t happen.”

Check out the full ranking here.

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