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The Cincinnati Bengals defensive line underwent a historic transformation this offseason.
An influx of investment naturally equates to an influx of optimism, but not from everyone it seems.
The Cincinnati Bengals defensive line underwent a historic transformation this offseason.
Between signing free agents Jonathan Allen and Boye Mafe, trading for Dexter Lawrence, and drafting Cashus Howell, Cincinnati poured resources into reshaping a unit that dragged the defense down in 2025.
An influx of investment naturally equates to an influx of optimism.
So when Warren Sharp of Sharp Football released his NFL defensive line rankings with the Bengals sitting at No.
26, I was aghast.
Best front sevens in 2026: Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) July 17, 2026 1.
Texans 2.
Eagles 3.
Rams 4.
Broncos 5.
Seahawks 6.
Browns 7.
Steelers 8.
49ers 9.
Lions 10.
Ravens 11.
Patriots 12.
Chiefs 13.
Packers 14.
Buccaneers 15.
Jaguars 16.
Jets 17.
Cowboys 18.
Giants 19.
Panthers 20.
Vikings 21.
Chargers 22.
Titans 23...
After everything Cincinnati did, Sharpes rankings suggest the Bengals are only better than the Las Vegas Raiders, New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, and Miami Dolphins.
That feels like a ranking pulled from January before the Bengals made a single move.
The 2025 unit deserved poor marks.
Trey Hendrickson missed half the season.
B.J.
Hill, T.J.
Slaton Jr., and Joseph Ossai carried the load with Myles Murphy and Shemar Stewart filling in.
It was not a good front four.
But the Bengals spent tens of millions of dollars and essentially their first two picks in the draft rebuilding the group from the inside-out.
Was all of that really not enough to move the needle? I think its time to reassess what our expectations should be for Cincys offseason project.
If theres been any overrating of this group, it probably centers on Allen and Mafe.
Allen is 31 years old and no longer the Pro Bowl-caliber player he was during his peak with the Commanders.
The Minnesota Vikings brought him in last year expecting significant production, received decent results, and still made him a cap casualty this offseason.
Mafe spent four years in Seattle.
He was trusted as a starter for not even half of his time with his original team.
There is absolutely projection with both players.
The hope is that a reduced role alongside Hill can maximize Allens effectiveness over a full season, and that Mafe, now making $20 million a year, finally takes the leap Hendrickson made five years ago.
I at least understand wanting to see these tw perform in their new roles before declaring them clear assets.
That said, its still reasonable to expect Mafe will take at least a modest jump in production, and Allen will benefit from playing next to Hill with his snaps reduced.
Heres where I think expectations need to be high.
Lets start with Lawrence, whom I think is still one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL.
ESPN recently revealed executives, coaches, and scouts still view him as a top-seven defensive tackle in the league, and I think even that undersells him.
Lawrence is getting a fresh start in Cincinnati, whether he frames it that way or not.
He watched Leonard Williams and Saquon Barkley leave the Giants and thrive with organizations that were on the cusp of winning or already were successful.
I think that matters to him, and I think it will show on the field.
Then theres Murphy, who made a noticeable jump in the second half of last season.
At just 24 years old with his athletic profile, I dont see that progression stopping.
Hendrickson and Ossai are gone.
Nobody is blocking his path to full-time starter snaps.
If the Bengals dont extend his rookie contract prior to Week 1 and he embraces the prove-it year ahead of him, his motivation to thrive will only increase.
Howell is another player Im confident in.
I think hes already one of the three best edge rushers on the roster already and more ready to contribute than Stewart.
He wont start, and neither will Slayton at nose tackle, but the fact that Slayton is your fourth defensive tackle is a depth luxury most teams cannot claim.
Every unit that undergoes significant changes carries projection, and the Bengals deserve more benefit of the doubt than Sharps rankings provide.
Lawrence is a well-known, high-level player.
Murphy made legitimate strides with a worse version of this defensive line last year.
Hill and Slaton are solid contributors now sliding into smaller roles because better players joined the roster.
Concerns about age along the interior are somewhat valid, but defensive tackle is one of the positions where players in their early 30s can still perform at a high level.
Even stepping back and trying to temper expectations, No.
26 feels far too low.
Somewhere in the teens makes sense to me.
There are still plenty of excellent defensive lines across the NFL, and the Bengals havent proven anything together yet.
If everyone plays at their peak, this is a top-10 unit.
I have no doubt about that.
Its got high-end potential with actual depth.
That was by design, and even when, not if, injuries and other variables come to the forefront, the group should be able to overcome it.
Depth will be tested, and some players may not deliver as hoped.
But if the Bengals can carry the dominance well inevitably see during training camp into the regular season, theyll be ranked significantly higher than No.
26 in anyones end-of-season rankings.
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