Stat of the Jay: Ranking Bengals’ Best Rookie Pass Rushers the Last 20 Years, With Some Surprise Names Near the Top

Jay Morrison | Apr 2, 2025

Nov 3, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Myles Murphy (99) runs a play against the Las Vegas Raiders in the second half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

CINCINNATI – Next to guard, defense line is the most sure-fire bet to be a position the Cincinnati Bengals target with a premium pick later this month in the NFL Draft.

The Trey Hendrickson negotiations remain in limbo, but even if last year’s Defensive Player of the Year runner up finds common ground with the front office and plays for the Bengals this year, the team is going to be looking for players who can to the pash rush this year and into the future.

The expectation is that a first- or second-day pick is going to come in and contribute immediately.

So let’s look at how rookie defensive linemen have fared in Cincinnati.

Carlos Dunlap set the rookie franchise record for sacks in 2010 when he registered 9.5, with 8.5 of them coming in the final six games of the season.

Only five other rookies in Bengals history have had more than five sacks:

Carl Lawson (2017) – 8.5

Justin Smith (2001) – 8.5

James Francis (1990) – 8

Sam Hubbard (2018) – 6

Dan Wilkinson (1994) – 5.5

The NFL record, if you’re wondering, is 14.5 by Jevon Kearse in 1999.

Dunlap’s 9.5 are tied for 34th.

Of course, sacks are only part of the story with pass rushers.

Using Pro Football Focus data back to 2006, here are the top Bengals rookie performances in pressures, pressure percentage and win percentage:

Pressures

Car Lawson (2017) 59

Geno Atkins (2010) 31

Sam Hubbard (2018) 29

Joseph Ossai (2022*) 25

Carlos Dunlap (2010) 22

Michael Johnson (2009) 17

Cam Sample (2021) 16

Myles Murphy (2023) 15

* Ossai wasn’t a rookie in 2022, but I’m including him on the list because it was first season playing after an August knee injury cost him his rookie year in 2021.

Pressure Percentage

Carl Lawson (2017) 9.5

Carlos Dunlap (2010) 7.8

Joseph Ossai (2022*) 6.8

Geno Atkins (2010) 6.6

Myles Murphy (2023) 5.7

Cedric Johnson (2024) 5.7

Sam Hubbard (2018) 5.6

Cam Sample (2021) 4.7

Jordan Willis (2017) 4.5

Win Percentage

Carl Lawson (2017) 16.5

Myles Murphy (2023) 12.7

Joseph Ossai (2022*) 10.8

Geno Atkins (2010) 10.7

Carlos Dunlap (2010) 10.2

Cedric Johnson (2024) 9.4

Jordan Willis (2017) 9.0

Sam Hubbard (2018) 8.3

Devon Still (2012) 8.3

Khalid Kareem (2020) 8.3

Murphy's win and pressure rates give some credence to the coaching staff's belief that he is set for a breakout year due to the increased amount of reps he's expected to see following the retirement of Hubbard.

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