When the Cincinnati Bengals spent major cash and made the blockbuster trade to improve the defensive line, the hope was that the age-old football truism of it also boosting the secondary would come true.
So far, that’s showing up at Bengals training camp.
With Dexter Lawrence in the middle and a hybrid defense moving around new pass-rushers such as Boye Mafe
like chess pieces, the secondary is certainly feeling the tables turn a little bit.Just ask Dax Hill.
“We definitely love that,” Hill told Dan Hoard. “It makes it a lot easier for us. You know that the quarterback only has a certain amount of time to get the ball out. So I feel like they’ve been doing a great job so far of applying pressure and making life easier for us.”
Hill broke out as a boundary
corner last year and the Bengals need more of the same from him again in 2026. Ditto from DJ Turner at the other boundary spot.
Granted, Joe Burrow’s offense appears to be struggling a bit while it goes through some growing pains inserting more under-center looks than usual.
Even so, a much-improved front seven would help any secondary in the NFL. That’s showing up already at a time the franchise needs some young foundational building blocks to develop. It doesn’t hurt that suddenly increased camp competition could make Burrow’s offense sharper, too.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals training camp: Secondary already benefiting from improved DL
