A big part of why the Cincinnati Bengals are watching the NFL Playoffs from home this year is their defense. Cincinnati fielded one of the worst defensive units in the NFL this season, and even a five-game winning streak to close the season couldn’t overcome the early season struggles.
Trey Hendrickson was the bright spot of the defense, leading the NFL in sacks with 17.5 in 2024. Outside of Hendrickson, though, the Bengals struggled to get any consistent pass rush from the rest of their defensive ends.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has a potential solution to that in his latest NFL mock draft.