Ranking Every Bengals Position Group by Overall Talent and Depth

Let's rank 10 groups of Bengals, from the roster's greatest strength to the biggest concern.

Dec 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) looks on before the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Cincinnati Bengals roster isn’t set, but it is solidified with all 90 spots filled.

There could be some pre-training camp additions or early September trades or waiver claims, but for the most part the group the Bengals will carry into the season is in the building as Phase II of the offseason program gets underway.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the roster by taking a look at all of the position groups and ranking them from biggest strength to most concerning weakness.

The rankings will weigh talent as well as depth, but the larger focus will be on the starters.

1. Quarterback

Sep 7, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco (15) and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) shake hands after a game at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

• Joe Burrow
• Joe Flacco
• Josh Johnson
• Sean Clifford

It would be hard to rank the quarterback position anywhere else regardless of the names sitting behind Burrow.

But by bringing back Flacco for another season, the Cincinnati quarterback group not only holds down the top spot on the roster, it might be the best anywhere in the league.

And the most experienced.

Johnson entered the league in 2009, one year after Flacco. Their professionalism and been-then, seen-that knowledge banks will be a great asset for Burrow.

2. Wide Receiver

Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers Tee Higgins (5) and Ja'Marr Chase (1) celebrate Higgins’ touchdown in the 2nd half over Jacksonville Jaguars at Paycor Stadium on Sunday, September 14, 2025. The Bengals won 27-31. | Cara Owsley/ The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

• Ja’Marr Chase
• Tee Higgins
• Andrei Iosivas
• Colbie Young
• Ke'Shawn Williams
• Mitch Tinsley
• Charlie Jones
• Kendric Pryor
• Xavier Johnson
• Noah Thomas
• Dohnte Meyers
• Jordan Moore

You could start a spirited conversation by debating which team has the best wide receiver trio in the league. Many teams, including the Bengals, could stake a claim, but there obviously is a significant drop from Higgins to Iosivas.

The top tandem in the league? Yeah, it has to be Cincinnati.

Young, the team’s fourth-round pick, has a chance to wrestle that No. 3 spot away from Iosivas and stake an even stronger claim to the Bengals having the league’s best trio. But there’s a long way to go before he can be graded on production rather than promise.

Of course, Iosivas isn’t a finished project. There still is room for growth after topping 30 catches and 400 yards in each of the last two seasons.

3. Defensive Line

Newly signed Cincinnati Bengals defense tackle Dexter Lawrence speaks in a press conference for the first time since joining the team at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Monday, April 20, 2026. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

• Dexter Lawrence II
• Boye Mafe
• B.J. Hill
• Myles Murphy
• Shemar Stewart
• Jonathan Allen
• Cashius Howell
• Kris Jenkins Jr.
• T.J. Slaton Jr.
• Landon Robinson
• Cedric Johnson
• McKinnley Jackson
• Jordan Jefferson
• Howard Cross III
• Isaiah Foskey

Who would’ve thought this would be a top 3 group a month ago?

Adding Lawrence via a surprising trade and Mafe and Allen in free agency has completely transformed Jerry Montgomery’s room, and Howell is expected to add even more juice to the pass rush after the Bengals selected him in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

There have been six instances in which at least four Bengals recorded five or more sacks in a season, with the most recent coming in the 2021 Super Bowl season with Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubbard, Larry Ogunjobi and Hill.

Could this group join that list with Murphy and Stewart on the rise?

Since 1982, there have been 61 teams with at least five players recording five or more sacks. Of those, 33 went to the playoffs (54 percent).

4. Offensive Line

Dec 14, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals center Ted Karras (64) and guard Dylan Fairchild (63) and offensive tackle Orlando Brown (75) line up for a play during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

• Orlando Brown Jr.
• Dylan Fairchild
• Ted Karras
• Dalton Risner
• Amarius Mims
• Jalen Rivers
• Cody Ford
• Connor Lew
• Brian Parker II
• Andrew Coker
• Javon Foster
• Jacob Bayer
• Liam Brown
• Christian Jones
• Corey Robinson II

Another data point on the revamped roster in Cincinnati, although this one has been much more of a slow build than the instant brew the front office undertook this offseason in the defensive trenches.

Barring injuries, 2026 will mark the first time since 2010 the Bengals will start the same five offensive linemen in the season opener as they did in the previous year’s finale.

The additions of Lew and Parker certainly strengthen the depth, and Rivers showed signs as a rookie that he can be a trusted backup.

If the Bengals get the 2024 version of Ford rather than last year’s, you can start talking about where this offensive line ranks in franchise history – post-Anthony Muñoz era, of course.

5. Running Back

Jan 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown (30) makes a deep run in the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium. Credit: Sam Greene-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | Sam Greene-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

• Chase Brown
• Samaje Perine
• Tahj Brooks
• Gary Brightwell
• Kendall Milton
• Kentrel Bullock
• Jamal Haynes

The group doesn’t have ideal depth, but Brown is emerging as a top 10 back in the league, and Perine has performed well whenever needed.

Because of their production and durability, Brooks didn’t get many opportunities as a rookie, which isn’t great for him but is good when it comes to evaluating the strength of a position group.

6. Specialists

• Evan McPherson
• Ryan Rehkow
• William Wagner

This is a really solid group. People may not realize that McPherson ranked seventh in field goal percentage last year, while Rehkow ranked second in gross punting average and ninth in net average. And that was despite tying for the league in touchbacks.

7. Safety

Bengals safety Bryan Cook 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

• Bryan Cook
• Jordan Battle
• Kyle Dugger
• PJ Jules
• Daijahn Anthony
• Russ Yeast
• Isaiah Nwokobia

Safety edges out cornerback here because the Bengals have three solid options for what is typically two positions, while corner has two top options for what is typically a three-man deployment.

Signing Cook should upgrade both safety positions as he will have a far greater impact on Battle’s growth than Geno Stone did the last two seasons.

And signing Dugger late in free agency could be one of the underrated moves of the offseason.

8. Cornerback

Bengals Dax Hill (23) celebrates a play during their game against the Steelers on Sunday November 16, 2025 at Acrisure Stadium. | Phil Didion/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

• Dax Hill
• DJ Turner II
• Tacario Davis
• Jalen Davis
• DJ Ivey
• Josh Newton
• Ja'Sir Taylor
• Jalen Kimber
• Bralyn Lux
• Ceyair Wright

The Bengals still don’t know who is going to line up at nickel corner.

They invested in the position by taking Tacario Davis in the third round, but his length might make him a better candidate to play outside, kicking Hill back into the slot, something he’d rather not do.

Corner is one of those positions where you go into the season knowing you're going to need to rely on your depth at some point, and there just are a lot of questions once you get past Hill and Turner.

9. Tight End

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Drew Sample (89) runs after a catch during warm ups before the NFL game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Denver Broncos at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

• Drew Sample
• Mike Gesicki
• Tanner Hudson
• Erick All Jr.
• Jack Endries
• Cam Grandy
• Josh Kattus

All’s return to full health could catapult this position a few spots, but it remains to be seen how he will fare after back-to-back ACL surgeries on the same knee.

The rest of the group are more specialized than the well-rounded All. And the giant chip Endries is carrying into the season could propel him into the mix.

10. Linebacker

Dec 28, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. (44) and Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Barrett Carter (49) react after a play during the second half against the Arizona Cardinals at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

• Demetrius Knight Jr.
• Barrett Carter
• Oren Burks
• Shaka Heyward
• Joe Giles-Harris
• Swayze Bozeman
• Antwaun Powell-Ryland
• Jack Dingle
• Eric Gentry
• Liam Anderson

It was a stunning offseason that saw the Bengals refuse to address the linebacker position despite it being their weakest and thinnest.

They didn’t sign one in free agency or draft one. They recently plucked Bozeman off waivers, but still, this is a giant bet on Knight and Carter developing into quality starters.

There was encouraging progress in the second half of 2025, but the refusal to take out an insurance policy could be costly on the field, and it’s the biggest reason linebacker comes in last on this list.

For more on the Bengals, subscribe to our YouTube Channel and be sure to watch the video below: