The Bengals have really struggled drafting defensive players in the Zac Taylor era

The Cincinnati Bengals are very good at drafting wide receivers. It’s somewhat of a specialty of theirs. They’re pretty good at quarterback as well. I’ve already written about the front office’s inability to draft offensive linemen in the Zac Taylor era.

Now, it’s time to take a look at the defense because it’s not much better.

After back-to-back solid defensive weeks (against sub-par offenses) on the road, Lou Anarumo’s defense just crumbled in the second half against a talented Eagles offense that had been underwhelming before they came to Paycor Stadium. While the Eagles were 4-2 heading into their matchup with the Bengals, their offense wasn’t putting up the points one with their roster should.

They were held in check, for the most part, in the first half on Sunday. In the second half, they just crumbled.

Their most productive players have been Trey Hendrickson and Mike Hilton or Sam Hubbard, who was drafted by Marvin Lewis. The fact is, like the offensive line, the most productive players were brought in via free agency, and that’s just not sustainable.

So, let’s take a look at the defenders drafted in the Taylor era.

2019

Third round (72): Germaine Pratt, linebacker, NC State
Fourth round (125): Renell Wren, defensive tackle, Arizona State
Sixth round (210): Deshaun Davis, linebacker, Auburn
Seventh round (223): Jordan Brown, cornerback, South Dakota State

Germaine Pratt was a solid selection for the Bengals out of NC State. He and Logan Wilson, who was selected the next year, make up one of the best linebacker duos in the NFL, especially when it comes to pass coverage.

Wren played in 12 games in two seasons with the Bengals before he was cut and picked up by the Eagles and then the Steelers. As a fourth-round pick, he only played in a handful of games and spent most of his time on IR or on a practice squad.

Neither Davis nor Brown have taken any regular-season snaps.

Grade: one out of four comes to 25 percent. That’s an F. Pratt brings that to a D+.
2020

Third round (65): Logan Wilson, Linebacker, Wyoming
Fourth round (107): Akeem Davis-Gaither, Linebacker, Appalachian State
Fifth round (147): Khalid Kareem, Defensive end, Notre Dame
Seventh round (215): Markus Bailey, Linebacker, Purdue

Maybe the Bengals are good at drafting linebackers because they got a great one in Wilson in the third round, and ADG isn’t terrible, either. I was a little surprised when the Bengals brought him back because I figured he’d be starting for another team in 2024. I’m glad I was wrong.

Bailey was a fixture on special teams for a couple of years but was cut before the 2024 season. He’s on the Cardinals’ practice squad now.

As for Kareem, he spent portions of his first three seasons in the league injured and was eventually cut and placed on the practice squad. Since 2022, he’s spent time on the practice squad for the Colts, Bears, and Falcons, where he is now).

Grade: Better, but not great, and still no linemen or defensive backs, so C.
2021

Third round (69): Joseph Ossai, Linebacker/Defensive end, Texas
Fourth round (111): Cam Sample, defensive end, Tulane
Fourth round (122): Tyler Shelvin, defensive tackle, LSU
Seventh round (235): Wyatt Hubert, defensive end, Kansas State

This is a rough year for the Bengals draft regarding defensive players. Ossai has flashed at times, but he’s never been a consistent threat as a pass rusher and isn’t much more than a guy who can spell Hendrickson or Hubbard from time to time.

Sample was a rotational piece for the Cincinnati Bengals Jersey Cheap as an edge rusher with eight sacks in his first three years, but he is currently on IR with a ruptured Achilles. He’ll be a free agent after the season is over.

Shelvin played in a few games during his rookie season but was cut prior to the second season and landed on the Broncos practice squad in 2022. He was cut before the 2023 season and hasn’t been signed since.

Hubert spent his rookie season on IR with a torn pectoral muscle and then announced his retirement from football before the 2022 season. He announced, via X, that he was returning to football, but football didn’t care.

Grade: This one’s an F.
2022

First round (31): Dax Hill, Cornerback/Safety, Michigan
Second round (60): Cam Taylor-Britt, Cornerback, Nebraska
Third round (95): Zach Carter, Defensive tackle, Florida
Fifth round (166): Tycen Anderson, Safety, Toledo
Seventh round (252): Jeff Gunter, defensive tackle, Coastal Carolina

Here is where the Bengals went heavy defense, and as of Week 8 of the 2024 season, it’s looking like they came out with empty pockets. They selected Hill in the first round with the intention of having him replace Jessie Bates (another Marvin Lewis pick) at free safety in 2023. It was a disaster, and the Bengals’ talented first-round safety just kind of did nothing until he was switched to cornerback before the 2024 season. The move worked surprisingly well until Hill went down in Week 5 with a torn ACL. The Bengals are going to need to make a decision on Hill’s fifth-year option soon.

CTB looked like he was going to develop into a true shutdown corner, but he has regressed in 2024 to the point that Trey Hendrickson had a better PFF coverage grade than the former Nebraska corner in Week 7. The jury is still out on CTB, but it hasn’t looked good recently.

Carter was underwhelming in his two seasons as a Bengals defensive tackle. He was waived by the Bengals earlier this month to make room for guys coming off IR. He’s now with the Raiders.

Anderson has spent the majority of his career on IR but has emerged in 2024 as a solid special teams player. He hasn’t been able to contribute consistently on defense, though.

Gunter spent most of his time, when not on the practice squad, taking special teams reps. He announced his retirement before the 2024 season.

Grade: This is tough because we’ve seen a little glimmer of hope for Hill and we’ve seen CTB play well at times. Based on how the guys who are still on the team have contributed through Week 8, it’s hard to give anything better than a C.
2023

First round (28): Myles Murphy, Edge, Clemson
Second round (60): DJ Turner II, Cornerback, Michigan
Third round (95): Jordan Battle, Safety, Alabama
Seventh round (246): DJ Ivey, Cornerback, Miami (Florida)

It’s tough to give any grade to these picks because we haven’t seen enough of a sample size to make an accurate judgment. Murphy has shown he’s a rare athlete as an edge rusher, but he still needs time to develop his tools.

Turner is one of the team’s starting cornerbacks, but that may only be because Hill is out, and we haven’t seen a lot of Ivey outside of preseason play and special teams.

The bright star here was Battle, who saved the safety position in 2023 from being a complete disaster. The combination of Hill and Nick Scott was terrible, and it wasn’t long before Battle was forced into a starting role. He excelled, though, so it was a little surprising when the Bengals not only brought in Geno Stone in free agency but brought Vonn Bell back as well.

We haven’t seen a ton of Battle this season, but we may see more soon as Anarumo tries to get the right combination of guys to get the ship righted.

Grade: N/A
2024

Second round (49): Kris Jenkins, Defensive tackle, Michigan
Third round (97): McKinnley Jackson, Defensive tackle, Texas A&M
Fifth round (149): Josh Newton, Cornerback, TCU
Sixth round (214): Cedric Johnson, Edge, Ole Miss
Seventh round (224): Daijahn Anthony, Safety, Ole Miss

Jenkins and Jackson are just now getting going, we’ve seen very little out of Newton and Anthony, and almost nothing from Johnson. Like the 2023 class, it’s too early to tell.

However, if this defensive draft class, especially Jenkins and Jackson, doesn’t pan out, the Bengals will be in trouble. With Joe Burrow signed, Ja’Marr Chase to be signed (I’m assuming), and the amount they’re spending on talented free agents, the Bengals are going to need cheap and productive years out of the guys they drafted.

Grade: N/A
Conclusion

Since 2019, the Bengals have used two day-one, eight day-two and 15 day-three draft picks on defensive players, and the only thing they have to show for it are a pair of good starting linebackers and a couple backups.

Like with the offensive linemen the team has drafted, we haven’t seen a lot of great play out of the home-grown talent for the Bengals. So much of their defensive production comes from free agents, and that’s just not sustainable.

The Bengals need guys like Jenkins, Jackson, Murphy, A.J. Green Jersey and Turner to pan out so they get some solid production without having to spend a ton of money on it.

We saw the Bengals go to the Super Bowl and then the AFC Championship with their quarterback and two star receivers all on rookie contracts. That’s not the case anymore.

The Bengals won’t be able to afford more Hilton or Hendrickson-type players. They need their own guys to get the job done.

So far, there is very little evidence that the Bengals’ future defense will pan out.