Locked On Bengals - Daily Podcast On The Cincinnati Bengals - Ranking the Bengals' Defensive Needs For the 2026 Offseason

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Cincinnati Bengals have a lot of work to do to field a solid plus defense in 2026. Let's break down how they should prioritize their defensive needs. You are locked on Bengals, your daily Cincinnati Bengals podcast. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network, your team every day. What up, Bengals fans, and welcome to another episode of the Locked on Bengals podcast. Part of the Locked on podcast network, your team every day, the number one. Sports Podcast Network in the land. He's James Rapine.

Starting point is 00:00:38 I'm Jake Lusco. We've been locked on Bengals here since 2016, bringing you daily content, daily analysis, daily news updates on your Cincinnati Bengals. You are in the best spot anywhere to stay up to date on your Cincinnati Bengals. Today we start a series wherein we will take a look at the Bengals offseason priorities and try to rank them, try to put them in order. This conversation this year naturally will start on the defensive side of the ball.

Starting point is 00:01:10 The everydayers have heard us alluding to this coming for a few weeks now. And now we're recording this before the conference championships. We finally get into the first episode of trying to put together a priority list for the Cincinnati Bengals and how they can attack this offseason. The reason we start with defense, James, is that that's where the clear. needs are right like yeah on the one hand you could say yeah well right guard they don't have a starting right guard right now backup quarterback they don't have a backup quarterback right now and those things are true but we'll get there when we talk about the offense those things just just not as

Starting point is 00:01:56 pressing i mean getting a right card is pressing but it's just like they're going to do that i guess Maybe that's why that's the thought in my head. On the defensive side of the ball, it's all three levels. It's everywhere. There's a lot up in the air. They need starters all over the place and trying to piece together. Where do they have the biggest opportunity to get better is part of this exercise? For sure.

Starting point is 00:02:21 And let's be honest here. This defense is, it costs Joe Burrow potentially an MVP. It costs the Bengals a realistic chance of making. the playoffs and holding serve with burrow out there's more to it than that but if you look at it they clearly don't have enough playmakers they clearly clearly don't have enough talent and we're recording this before championship sunday but guess what these defenses that we see on championship sunday they're going to make plays they're going to make plays and so the bengals they need to make plays they need more playmakers on defense shocker we're starting with the defense yes me even me

Starting point is 00:02:59 I'm thinking about the defense and I think it is that simple. It doesn't mean they don't have needs or weaknesses on offense. It doesn't mean they should ignore the offense. But when it comes down to it, the defense needs to be fixed. And boy, oh boy, is it going to take more than duct tape, Jake, let's go, to fix this defense. There's a lot. There's priority list. I'm curious to see how it lines up from you to me.

Starting point is 00:03:25 I think a lot of people will be in agreement. Maybe there will be some debate. but the answer on whether or not the Bengals need help on defense is just yes. And I don't think there's a debate there. Yeah, I mean, I went through looking at the guys

Starting point is 00:03:39 that are under contract for next year. And this is going to change between now and the start of free agency between now and the draft. Right now, they don't have a guy that I trust to start at slot corner. If they re-signed Jalen Davis,

Starting point is 00:03:49 then they at least have a baseline player there. That would then be something that I would see as a need or a need in terms of, you have an upgrade opportunity here but the two spots that i have penciled in with good starters are at corner outside corner if dj turner and daxhill reprised their roles as outside corner that's not even on the list for me you would like some depth there for sure but like that doesn't crack the priority list that we're talking about today you look at the defensive line right now you have pencil in the starters next year is miles murphy b j hill t j slayton and shamar suret your depth

Starting point is 00:04:26 pieces will be then Chris Jenkins, McKinley Jackson, Cedric Johnson, there might be some other futures contracts guys that are under contract next year. There's a lot there that you need. At linebacker, you got Barrett Carter, Orrin, Berks, Demetrius Knight. There's a lot there. At safety, you can pencil in Jordan battle.

Starting point is 00:04:45 Maybe you think that he's a solid, adequate starter at one spot. Maybe you think that he's better than that. I think that's fair to assume that he's probably one of your starting safeties at the other spot. there's no starter on the team there. You got Dejan Anthony and PJ Jules under contract. There's no starting safety there.

Starting point is 00:05:01 So when you look at the defense overall, you can count probably three positions right away, at least two, slot quarter and safety, where they cannot line up with the guys under contract right now. They need to go get a starting level player at those positions. You go to defensive end, you could say, well, they probably need a starting level player there. There's maybe the way I've capital.

Starting point is 00:05:26 categorize this, James is saying they can barely line up at defense event. They can, but you're not very comfortable with it. You got a really low-end starter out there, at least on paper. Maybe these guys take another step if they go with what they had in 2025. And then you get to a linebacker, and I would call that a pressing need. You can line up. They did line up all year with those guys that they had as rookies. You should expect those guys to be better in their second year.

Starting point is 00:05:51 But based on what we saw, I would still categorize that as a pretty pressing need. And then finally, you get to defensive tackle, which to me represents a significant upgrade opportunity. So there are these different categories of how I would sort the needs here. That doesn't necessarily reflect the prioritization and how I would attack free agency and what I would say, this needs to happen first. This needs to happen second if it went in order. But that's kind of the way that I'm thinking about the different needs at every level of this defense. And the one thing that's notable is you go through this from my point of view here is it's every. single spot on this defense, there is some sort of need prioritization that you need to think about.

Starting point is 00:06:31 For sure. And that's what's tough. That's why it's going to take a lot of effort. And there are going to be different ways you can do it, different scenarios where this defense is significantly better. And I think the number one thing that I would covet, and I think NFL teams defensively should covet is that game-changing interior pass rusher. And the Bengals don't have that. And you mentioned it. Like if you could get a game-changing player at defensive tackle, well, that can really set the tone for the rest of your defense

Starting point is 00:07:07 and help give your defense a facelift. The problem is those don't grow on trees. Those guys, and if they do grow on trees that are drafted early. They hardly grow on earth, period, anywhere. As humans, they're so rare. I think it's the hardest position outside of quarterback to find right now as an interior pass rougher who can change your defense. And that's why we know they were in on Walter Nolan last year and he gets picked one

Starting point is 00:07:32 pick before they take Shamar. It's why I'm sure they're going to be intrigued by kicking Shamar inside some and see if he can give you some juice on the interior. But ultimately, that's where my focus would be. And it's just really, really hard. It's really hard to find. it's really hard to get and maybe they get it with a 10th pick maybe there there's a free agent or a trade out there and in better believe i would be down to do that uh it's why they should have been in

Starting point is 00:08:02 on milton williams a year ago and we knew that they just were never going to swim in those waters and so when you when you're in this spot now and and that's the really a really hard thing to find you in defensive tackle is a need but you don't need another Chris Jenkins. You don't need another mid-range, like Chris Jenkins may end up being B.J. Hill, right? Maybe. You hope so. You already have BJ Hill. You would. You would. And that's great. But like, you need more juice than that. In finding that, I think that's the biggest challenge for this defense. If you can find that. Because I think you could look and see, oh, well,

Starting point is 00:08:44 there's, there's this edge or that edge or this guy can bring some juice. And there's different scenarios where you can find that, whether it's free agency or the draft, safety, same thing. Linebacker, same thing. But that interior presence that everybody feels, that's what the Bengals really, really, really, really need to find. And I'm not sure they're going to be able to do that. That doesn't mean they can't upgrade defensive tackle.

Starting point is 00:09:07 I'm not saying that. But it's going to be that that's the biggest offseason challenge, I would say, realistically, for this Bengals defense. It's just so hard to find. And that's part of what shapes the conversation for me. I agree. If they could go out there and get a Pro Bowl level defensive tackle, I'm all about that. That is right up there at the top of the list for me. And so when I think about this, that's a great segue to the way that I'm thinking about this this year is, I'm thinking about it in terms of like, okay, what's my overall priority based on what I think is available, based on how feasible I think this is, based on who's on the roster. And then how does that change if there's an opportunity to go get a dude? And some examples of dudes I can talk about in a minute because I went through the sod exercise last year as well. And I've gone through it a little bit this year and like say you could get a player like

Starting point is 00:09:56 XYZ player. How does that change your thought process as far as how you would approach attacking that position in this free agency? We'll continue the conversation and dive into some of these priorities and how it changes for me especially and James, I'm interested to get your take as well when you start to introduce the impact player possibilities coming up next. The big game is almost here. Yeah, we know the Bengals aren't playing in it, but there's no better way to stay locked into every moment with prize picks.

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Starting point is 00:12:13 a registered futures commission merchant and swap firm. Jake, we'll get to how you viewed this and kind of how you categorize things. I think, and this won't shock every day or our viewers that are listening and watching, my goal, if I'm the Bengals, because it's really hard to find this or that or all those things. Can you just find a building block, a piece that you're like, when you think of the Bengals defense, like when you think of the Bengals offense, you already think of Joe Jamar. like it's instant. This defense,

Starting point is 00:12:53 like it used to be Bates and Reader and Hendrickson and I think that they did have an identity for a little bit of time there, but boom, just like that went out the door. I don't think of anyone on this defense right now. Like I don't, like when you think of the Bengals,

Starting point is 00:13:10 I don't, I guess I think of Al. You know, like I, and so that's it. Like you need something, wherever it is. is on this defense. And I think that would be my priority. You got to get someone you can really build around and feel like,

Starting point is 00:13:25 hey, this guy is the guy in the face of our defense. And that's really hard to find, of course. But Baltimore, I think of Kyle Hamilton. Before that, it was Rochuan Smith. I think he's kind of passed the baton a little bit. The Steelers, T.J. Watt, he's getting old, lung and the tooth. Fine.

Starting point is 00:13:46 The Browns, you obviously know it's Miles Garrett. it's been that way for a decade that the bengals need whatever their face is we need to be in september being like oh well this guy is is going to be a big piece of of what they do for the next five plus years and they've had that guy in trey hendrickson sure they will not have that guy in trey hendricks but you go back a couple of years and it was pretty easy when you when you thought about the bengals defense it was trey dj jesse cheeto mike Mike Hilton, Logan Wilson, Jermaine Pratt.

Starting point is 00:14:22 These guys are all gone. They're not there anymore. Now you would say it's probably DJ Turner and Dax Hill if you had to think of players. Like those are the two guys that are first. Next would be Miles Murphy and Jordan Battle. BJ Hill is probably in that tier as well. None of those guys and no disrespect intended here, none of those guys make the impact that a Miles Garrett,

Starting point is 00:14:45 I mean, Miles Garrett is singular, but a Miles Garrett or a Kyle Hamilton or a T.J. Watt or a Cam Hayward, for that matter, make on a defense. They don't have that level of guy, especially with Trey on his way out. So while they have a couple pieces, and we've talked about the emergence and development of Daxville and DJ Turner on this podcast over the past four months, they don't have that star level player. And maybe one of those guys gets there, right? But when I talk about the last time this defense was a playoff caliber defense, it's guys at every level. It's guys at every level that can make a difference for you.

Starting point is 00:15:26 So they do need to add out to that. And where it gets really interesting, James, I think is when you think about it in terms of, okay, say you can get a defensive tackle and free agency, a BJ Hill level defensive tackle, or even a DJ reader who, you know, DJ Reader getting him back at even 90% DJ Reader of what he was before, that's a big improvement to your defense. Yes. But if it's that versus like Jeffrey Simmons or, you know, name one of the top tier defensive tackles in the NFL, that makes a big difference in terms of how you're going to prioritize

Starting point is 00:16:03 that. If I can go get a Jeffrey Simmons, that might be my first priority in the offseason. If I can go get another BJ Hill level player, I might put that as one of my last priorities. on the defense like there there's more guys out there that can do that at that level so at that point it's a little bit less important to me similarly or i guess an opposite example of this would be a defensive end where right now for me defensive end is both like if you can get an impact defense event i.e. Trey hendrickson who they will be losing uh or a plus starting level of defensive end. Those are similar priorities to me. Like that is something that you need to go

Starting point is 00:16:47 attack aggressively, in my opinion, if you're the Bengals. They did just spend a couple first round picks there, though. So we'll see how they take that approach this offseason with the expectations for Samar Stewart to fill the roles of a first round pick in a second year. Yeah, that's, that's what's tough is you've invested. The odd thing about the defense, like there's so many people that are going to be like, oh, well, focus on the defense, focus on the defense. They've They've thrown assets at the defense. And that's, that's kind of what's scary.

Starting point is 00:17:19 It might be the most scary thing. It's not like they haven't tried. And obviously you need more out of those guys. But it does seem like, man, Jeffrey Simmons, I just keep thinking of him in stripes. And I want to save the,

Starting point is 00:17:33 because that's not the conversation we're having today, but that going down that path, put that in the sheet of topics, because that's one we should definitely cover. It's, if it's not going to be a game-changing playmaking defensive tackle. And maybe you do bring back DJ Reader. Fine.

Starting point is 00:17:51 But then you better get some juice on the edge. And maybe that's the 10th pick. Maybe that's in free agency. Maybe that's a mixture of both. The answer should probably be both. Whether it's the 10th pick or at some point in the draft plus. Imagine the transformation of going from Miles Murphy, Shamar Stewart, and Cedric Johnson.

Starting point is 00:18:11 and say you add an Adafi Oa or an Arnold Ebokati and a Rubin Bain to that mix. I mean, that's night and day. And then if you look up and suddenly Shamar hits it and is disruptive. And now you have other guys. Like that's how it can come together really quickly. And maybe that helps, by the way, maybe that helps these linebackers some, bringing back a DJ reader and going that route. And the guys you mentioned, like, those are realistic.

Starting point is 00:18:43 It's not this crazy earth-shattering blockbuster trade that needs to happen. There shouldn't be an edge that they don't feel comfortable with pursuing from a financial standpoint to be very clear, available this offseason. Like, they should be in on any of them that they like that they think would fit. That's it. They should be in on them. So that's where it starts for me. And if you can upgrade there, especially in free agents, well, then you can open things up a bit.

Starting point is 00:19:13 And maybe that playmaker, that identity player is someone that you get with pick 10. Because a lot of times in an ideal world, you would draft that player like they have on offense. They haven't really done that on defense. They've done it in free agency. A lot of those guys that you mentioned were free agent additions. Not all of them. Logan Wilson was drafted.

Starting point is 00:19:34 So not all of them. Jermaine Pratt drafted. But a lot of those guys were free agent additions. They would be nice if they found one of those guys with the 10th pick. And that's where I think the conversation continues. We'll do that coming up next. Today's show is brought you by Indeed. If you've ever hired someone who looked good on paper but wasn't the right fit, you know how important that is.

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Starting point is 00:21:02 Let them know that Lockedon Bengals sends you terms and conditions apply hiring. Do it the right way with Indeed. shout out to all the everydayers out there as we wrap up this episode on the Bengals defensive priorities for the 2026 off season. And we will, of course, put this all together with the offense and stack all these things up and talk about how they can go tackle these needs. But the everydayers out there, if you're looking to get an ad-free version of the Lockdown Bengals podcast or join a Discord server with a chat with other Locktown Bengals listeners, talk some snack in the AFC North channel. Well, check out lockedout bangles.supercast.com for details on how you can join the everydayer club today. James, there are a few other positions we haven't talked about here in terms of where they fit in to the priorities.

Starting point is 00:21:53 Very obviously, they need a safety to go with Jordan Battle. Very obviously to us, and maybe not to them. And that's maybe another conversation. They should add at linebacker. And I would throw into the mix here, they need a starting slot corner. I don't know what avenue they will take to address that. If they go get a guy like Jalen Petrie or Kyle Hamilton, maybe they start doing some cool three safety stuff,

Starting point is 00:22:18 and that's where you can do it in free agency where there's like... Did you say Kyle Hamilton? Yeah, go get a guy like Kyle Hamilton, not specifically Kyle Hamilton. Oh, like Kyle Hamilton. Okay, I got you. Go get a Kyle Hamilton. Yeah, like a guy like that. I would love that. And maybe you think that's Caleb Downs. I don't know if that's the kind of player he is.

Starting point is 00:22:37 But the point I'm trying to make here is similar to a defense event. Like you go get one of these 10 to 15 good starting safeties in free agency. Find the one that fits you best. And then there's a bunch in the draft too. There's going to be guys drafted on day two this year at safety. They're going to be good players in the NFL. It's not just pick 10 or bust. I think this is a good safety class, at least from my preliminary interpretation of who's out there

Starting point is 00:23:00 and who's available in this draft class. And talked about it last week, excited for the senior bowl safety group. that hybrid approach can take you from a weakness to a strength if you get those guys and have the roles in mind for them. And so safety for me is near the top of the list here, James, simply because they do not have that guy on the roster today. There are a lot of options here, but we really need to see them get this right after how wrong it went with the transition from Jesse Bates to Geno Stone. Yeah, I think the priority list, and again, this is just like really high level, but you need to put yourself in a position where you can take Caleb Downs over David Bailey.

Starting point is 00:23:40 Like if, like if you feel like Downs is that guy where you don't have to force the pass rusher, to be clear. I'm not talking about specific prospects in depth and I would take Downs over Bay. I'm not saying that. What I'm saying is you need to feel comfortable enough with what you did in free agency where you're like, man, this safety, non-premium position is a transformational player that we can build our defense around for the next decade, hopefully. And so let's bring him in.

Starting point is 00:24:04 And that's where they need to be. Because down should very much be in the mix at 10, regardless of the safeties that are available on day two or day three. If they view him that way and they might, I don't know yet. Obviously, the evaluation process is continuing. And it's not just there. Like linebacker?

Starting point is 00:24:22 Like if the right linebacker is there. And people are going to feel that way about Sunny Stiles. You're already seeing Sunny Stiles as a, some people, I've seen people say, are we sure? Sunny Stiles isn't just the best player position agnostic in this draft class that's out there that that thought exists and i don't think you can totally scoff at it and so if he's there at 10 and it's like oh well this guy's going to transform my identity like i'll never forgive the bears for trading roquan smith to the raven like it's saved but the reason why mike macdonald

Starting point is 00:24:52 was able to transform things is because he gets donated roquan smith and then they stumble into Kyle Hamilton in the draft because he falls because he's this unique player. And then suddenly they're a thorn in the Bengal side and nearly winning it at Paycor with a backup quarterback that they had no right winning with. Like that's what you want. You want to be that tough, stingy identity-based defense. And so, yeah, sunny stop. I'm totally open to it as of today during Sonmageddon here in Cincinnati.

Starting point is 00:25:23 Hopefully everyone's staying safe. but I don't care that you drafted Demetrius Knight. He's going to be Jake Lisco's age by the time he's signing his second contract. So really, you need to think about future when hit. No, I'm just kidding. All right, I'll stop. The point is, is they should be in a position where, yeah, I'm just kidding, Demetrius. I promise you, I'm kidding.

Starting point is 00:25:43 You're just a few years younger than Jake, though. Sonny is he might be that transformational piece. They need everything going. back to what I said 20 minutes ago. And so the last thing I want them to do is be like, oh, well, we need to address this premium position and take a non-transformational piece if they view that there's one out there. And I do think that styles and or downs could be that. And if that's the case, and you're the Bengals, you're crossing your fingers and hoping that they're there. You just, you got to prioritize what you've got to prioritize correctly, the password

Starting point is 00:26:22 specifically to put yourself in position on draft day to do so. You need to see them take that approach where they come, again, how many times are we going to say this this is off season? Somebody should start counting. They need to come out of free agency without pressing needs. They need to come out of free agency feeling like they have a starting safety. They have their defensive tackle rotation. They have their edge rush or rotation.

Starting point is 00:26:42 They have a starting slot corner. They have a corner four on the outside. And maybe they end up deciding, that's Josh Newton. We'll see. Maybe they like their depth of corner. we'll see what approach they take there, but you cannot get to the draft and say, man,

Starting point is 00:26:56 we really need to draft a corner. We don't, man, we've had this conversation with DJ Turner. We don't think it's going to get done, man. We better draft a corner. We got Dax done. We don't think we can get DJ.

Starting point is 00:27:09 You know, you can't, that's just one of many things you can see this team doing, right, where they're drafting for the future. And they're like, I, you know what,

Starting point is 00:27:15 we'll pay one of these guys, but we'll try to replace the other one in the draft. How about, how about you keep the two guys, that are worth anything on your defense right now. Correct. Not to take a shot at the other guys. I'm excited for Miles Murphy next year.

Starting point is 00:27:31 But like, come on. Let's be more active in free agency so you can get to the draft and really consider this world of possibilities where you really flip a weakness into a strength. And so that's where the approach conversation will come in when we talk about like, all right, how do we approach free agency? How do we think they're going to approach free agency? because I think that is going to be different. Again, there's a few times I've hinted at it here, James,

Starting point is 00:27:55 where how confident are we that they think they need to go get a starting defense event in free agency? How confident are we that they have to, that they think, they think they have to go get a starting linebacker in free agency? I'm going to tell them. Those two are the ones where I would have concerns that there's a gap in our prioritization. Yeah, I hope, I hope not. I think linebacker, I would say of all of them, backer would be low like they better at a starting defensive end like what kidding like they better

Starting point is 00:28:26 add a starting safety and that that's the other thing I wanted to mention I don't want them to force this Jordan battle thing like I'm totally fine with Jordan being on the team don't force him into the DJ Turner Daxil conversation in the in this sense that he's definitely a building block because what if you get Brian Cook start out there like what if you sign Brian Cook and then you you are like, man, Caleb Downs is that dude. Well, I still want that dude. And so then it can be cooking downs. And that doesn't mean that battle can't be around for this year.

Starting point is 00:29:01 But it's. And the transition in the NFL to so much three safety stuff, there's value in having three guys that you can put on the field. I don't want them to be like, oh, well, we can't get DJ done right now. Let's get Jordan done. Yeah, which for why. totally something they would do. Oh, dude.

Starting point is 00:29:21 As you were just like discussing that, I was like, oh, my God. They're going to be like, well, we got Dax done. We got Jordan done. Two young guys. We feel good. It's like, no, no, no, no. That's not. That's not it.

Starting point is 00:29:31 Like, it's not it at all, especially with so many available that, like, we should be going into training camp thinking safety could be a super strength for this team. And that, oh, man, will their pass rush additions, will it come together the way they envision it? They, they, will everything gel the way they hope? We'll see.

Starting point is 00:29:58 Look at everything that they've done to, to put themselves in a position to have options at safety and have pass-rash options and have linebacker options that aren't Demetrius night. Can you imagine if they sign like a free agent and a linebacker and he's like a year older than Demetrius? They got to be. A Leo Chanel for it. How old? Is he 26?

Starting point is 00:30:20 I think they're the same age, actually. I'm not there either, he's either a year old. He's 25. He's 25. He's the same age. Oh, my God. Yeah, Leo Chanel. So let's summarize here. Let's summarize a little bit here.

Starting point is 00:30:35 And then we'll keep this going. We're going to keep talking about this stuff. He's three months younger than Demetri's. He's played for four years. Yeah. Trust me, I know. I looked at that a while. He was a third rounder, by the way.

Starting point is 00:30:47 Oh. Great athlete. Some skin on that bone for sure. Some meat on that bone. Not skin on that bone. That's the opposite. So just to summarize here, they need a starting slot corner. Yes.

Starting point is 00:31:00 They need a starting safety. Those are positions where today they do not have starters on the roster. However, if I were to rank the priorities, because I think you can get a slot corner in a number of different ways. For me, it starts at defensive end. Second for me is safety, James. Third for me is linebacker. Fourth is defensive tackle because I don't think there's really an opportunity for them to go get that impact guy. But if they could get the impact guide, then defensive tackle would jump up to first for me.

Starting point is 00:31:29 So that's the caveat for me for defensive tackle. And last on the defense is a slot corner. And that's kind of like neck and neck with defensive tackle. But again, it's just because they can get a slot corner in a number of ways. They really need to get one. But if it's me and I have to do one at a time and I can't multitask. which maybe the Spengel's front office can't. I'm getting a defensive end first, safety second, linebacker third,

Starting point is 00:31:54 defensive tackle fourth, slot corner, fifth. And again, that changes a little bit if you're talking about getting like a Jeff Simmons kind of player or like a Fred Warner kind of linebacker, you know, those really elite impact kind of players. Yeah, and that's what I would be so focused. Like, splash, like not flash, splash, who makes the splash? who makes the splash right and uh defensive tackle in an ideal world would be that but wherever wherever because you you can't oh we have this great playmaking linebacker great you haven't had one

Starting point is 00:32:29 in a while oh we have this great playmaking pass rusher great we haven't had one in a while safety haven't had one in a while like you could say all of them so if i had to rank them i would still put defensive tackle one because it's so hard to find is that in the draft could it be there at 10 we're going to spend plenty of time on that. Is there a free agent that fits that? No, there's not. Is there a trade that is realistic for the Bengals? Probably not.

Starting point is 00:32:54 But, hey, it's like trying to find water in a desert. You're going to value it. And so I'm going to try to do it if you can. So that would be one. I get what your logic is, though. After that, I think Edge, defensive end is the most realistic one to address and address with the right juice this off season.

Starting point is 00:33:16 So I totally get that. That would be two for me. Safety is three. You got to be so much better there, just so much better. And maybe that's where you find the face of your defense. And by the way, I think Brian Cook could be potentially, not on the face of your defense, but certainly a stabilizing force. Linebacker would be four.

Starting point is 00:33:34 And you're right. I think slot corner is fifth. It does matter. I think Jalen Davis, my guy, J.D. Maybe you won't. Maybe he won't. but I think you will. I think they get that done, which would alleviate that some in the need of that. Does it mean that you wouldn't want to add another one that could play slot outside all those things?

Starting point is 00:33:54 I would love that. But if you bring back Jaylon Davis, I think that solves that a little bit. Interestingly, I think that there might be, like we alluded to earlier, there might be one position on this offense that cracks this list. And actually is ahead of any of these defensive spots. They really need a right guard. that will be part of the conversation when we turn the page and talk about this offense where you might not think there are a ton of needs, but there are some needs. There aren't a ton of needs compared to this defense, but there are needs that we will talk about. There are opportunities for them to get better on offense.

Starting point is 00:34:27 I don't think anyone should be resting on their laurels. I've seen a little bit more of this, and I would like to this assumption that the offense will just be good again. You should always be looking to get better everywhere. We will have that conversation about the offense. We'll look for Bengals-related takeaways, of course, from these conference championship games. We always do. We're right into the Senior Bowl this week, James.

Starting point is 00:34:51 Let's go, baby. We're getting into the thick of the offseason here. We'll have you covered on the Lockdown Bengals podcast. Until next time, thanks for listening to this episode of the Lockdown Bengals podcast. Hootay and have a good book. Time to go shovel, Jake.

Locked On Bengals - Daily Podcast On The Cincinnati Bengals - Ranking the Bengals' Defensive Needs For the 2026 Offseason

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