The Bengals added a lot of proven veteran talent on the defensive side of the ball via free agency and the trade for Dexter Lawrence. Let’s take a deeper look at some of those additions.
Kyle Dugger
Dugger isn’t likely to unseat Jordan Battle for the starting safety spot opposite Bryan Cook. However, I do expect him to still be a valuable contributor who will see 15-20 snaps a game. The thing I find most impressive about Dugger is what he can do against the run when playing down in the box. For a team that still has
questions about the young linebackers, Dugger could see a decent amount of snaps in a rotational role down in the box to help them out.
Dugger is a former second-round draft selection, finishing the 2025 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He finished the year with 59 tackles, a sack, and two interceptions. Not the biggest addition to the defense this year, but I think he will still be a valuable addition.
Jonathan Allen
Jonathan Allen is a former first round draft selection. He has two Pro Bowls during his career, initially starting out with Washington. He spent the 2025 season with the Minnesota Vikings. Allen put up 68 tackles and 3.5 sacks last year. He has 45.5 sacks during his career.
While he may not be the dominant pass rusher he once was, he still has plenty of juice to be an effective player on the defensive line. The ability to rotate with BJ Hill, while having a monster like Dexter Lawrence drawing so much attention, should allow for all of those guys to benefit from playing together.
The PFF grades for Allen were poor, but the tape I watched showed a player much better against the run than those grades would indicate. He does a great job working down the line, his awareness as a run defender, and overall football IQ stand out. He is a reliable tackler, and he can still get some quick wins as a pass rusher. After playing over 800 snaps in 2025, he should be able to get that number down this season, allowing for him to remain fresh throughout the year.
Boye Mafe
Mafe was another addition to a revamped Bengals defensive line. He was part of a deep defensive line for the Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks during the 2025 season. While he recorded just 2 sacks during the 2025 season, he was still getting pressure at a high rate when on the field.
You don´t have to go very far back to see more sack production throughout his career. He recorded 6 sacks in 2024, after having 9 sacks during the 2023 season. He will play a lot more snaps with the Bengals this year, and I expect a big jump back up in his sack production. The expectations should be for him to get back to being an 8-10 sack player. He isn’t a liability against the run, as some would say Trey Hendrickson was during his time with the Bengals.
Mafe is a high-effort player, has great athleticism, and knows how to effectively use his hands to discard blocks. The Bengals should have a decent rotation with Shemar Stewart, Cashius Howell, and Myles Murphy at defensive end, but Mafe will be expected to lead that charge as a pass rusher in 2026.
Bryan Cook
It is hard to understate just how big of an upgrade Cook should be in comparison to Geno Stone. Cook is the complete opposite when it comes to physicality and reliability as a tackler at the safety position. He is a fantastic pre-snap communicator, which has been lacking the last couple of seasons on the defensive side of the ball. The Cincinnati native should help stabilize the back end of the defense.
Cook had an 83.2 coverage grade, along with an 80.1 run defense grade. He had just a 5.6% missed tackle rate last season. In comparison to Stone, who had a 50.7 coverage grade, 53.9 run defense grade, and a brutal 18.7% missed tackle rate on the season.
Dexter Lawrence
The Bengals’ biggest defensive addition, both figuratively and literally, was Dexter Lawrence. Listed at 6’4” and 342 pounds, Lawrence is a massive man on the interior defensive line. While he didn’t record any sacks in 2025, he was consistently disruptive and pushed the pocket for the Giants. It is also no coincidence that Brian Burns had a career year as a pass rusher. Lawrence will open up the rest of the defensive line to make plays, along with the Bengals young linebackers.
Lawrence is a stout run defender who commands a lot of attention. He has a powerful bull rush, better movement skills than a guy that size should have, and had just a 5.6% missed tackle rate during the 2025 season.
With training camp just around the corner, there is reason for a lot of optimism based on the additions the Bengals have made to a defense that sorely needed reinforcements. Nothing matters until the pads come on during the regular season, but it is encouraging that the front office went out and made some moves that they normally wouldn’t.
