Bengals UDFA Linebacker Already Turning Heads After 2026 NFL Draft

The Cincinnati Bengals have had one of the worst defenses in the league for the last few years, and it's held them back from competing for a Super Bowl.

This offseason, the front office opted to upgrade the defense in a big way. They found upgrades across the entire unit, which has put the team in a much better spot right now than they were in at any point last season.

Bengals Have Room To Improve At Linebacker

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor talks about newly signed defense tackle Dexter Lawrence in a press conference at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Monday, April 20, 2026. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

They added players like Dexter Lawrence and Boye Mafe to their defensive line. Lawrence may be the best player on the Bengals defense. He's a stud in the middle of the defensive line and should bolster the Bengals' last-place run defense. Mafe is also a good addition as an edge rusher to the defensive line.

They added players like Bryan Cook, Jonathan Allen, Tacario Davis, and Cashius Howell, too. All of these players should be impact defenders for the Bengals.

But they didn't add a linebacker in the draft, instead opting to add one in undrafted free agency.

Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic recently put together a list of one undrafted free agent to watch for each team this offseason, and he suggested the Bengals may have struck gold on USC linebacker Eric Gentry.

Bengals Took Flyer On Eric Gentry

Feb 25, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA Southern California linebacker Eric Gentry (LB09) speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

"An extremely long off-ball linebacker (6-6, 221, with 35-inch arms) with outstanding agility, Gentry is an old-school tweener without a true position — he’s too light to be an edge but too athletic to not be on the field somewhere," Baumgardner wrote. "I was surprised he went undrafted, even if he is a project."

Gentry is a huge linebacker, standing at 6-foot-6 with massive arms. This kind of physical presence is rarely found in a linebacker, which makes him an intriguing option for the Bengals.

He needs to put on some muscle if he's going to be an NFL linebacker, but if he's able to do that, he could make waves for the Bengals.

This seems like a lottery addition for the Bengals, but if it pans out for them, Gentry could be a solid boost to a depleted linebacker room.

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