Cincinnati Bengals Young Core May Need More Juice

For the last few years, the Cincinnati Bengals have had one of the better teams in the league led by a young pair of wide receivers, Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase, as well as a young quarterback in Joe Burrow.

But Burrow is quickly approaching 30 years old now, and that's one of a few reasons the Bengals are no longer viewed as a young up-and-coming team.

Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox recently ranked the Bengals' young core as the 21st-ranked core in football this season, which is lower than this unit would have ranked for the last few seasons.

Bengals Recent Draft Picks Aren't Living Up To Hype

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Shemar Stewart (97) talks with defensive coordinator Al Golden in the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 1 game between the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. The Bengals begin the season with a 17-16 win over the Browns. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"The Cincinnati Bengals aren't an old team just yet, but if they don't start hitting on more draft picks, that could rapidly change. Joe Burrow will turn 30 later this year, and wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins won't stay in their primes forever," Knox wrote. "That said, Chase and Higgins just turned 26 and 27, respectively, earlier this year and still qualify as young. While they form Cincinnati's core trio, alongside Burrow, the Bengals have some other emerging stars, like running back Chase Brown and defensive back Dax Hill.

"The problem in Cincinnati is that recent draft picks like Jackson Carman, Cam Taylor-Britt, Zachary Carter, Myles Murphy, Jermaine Burton, and Shemar Stewart have either flamed out quickly, developed slowly, or flopped altogether. This might be why the Bengals eschewed the first round entirely this year and traded for Dexter Lawrence instead."

The Bengals young core hasn't grown much over the last few years because their top draft picks haven't been great.

Shemar Stewart is the most recent example, as he was taken in the first round in a move that shocked a lot of Bengals fans. Stewart struggled tremendously in his rookie season, though he has a lot of potential to develop in year two.

But it doesn't seem like the Bengals are worried about their young core right now. They're all in to win in 2026.

Bengals In Win-Now Mode

Jan 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) throws a pass in the fourth quarter the Cleveland Brownsat Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Greene-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | Sam Greene-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

The Bengals have the talent to win the Super Bowl right now. With Burrow, Higgins, and Chase on the roster, they opted to go all in during the offseason by signing a few valuable defensive players and trading for Lawrence.

If these additions, specifically the trade for Lawrence, can push the Bengals to another Super Bowl appearance and potentially a win in 2026, the fans will be very happy. At that point, I don't think it would matter too much where their young core is ranked.

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