The Cincinnati Bengals have heavily invested in the pass-rush over the last few years, spending multiple first-round picks on the position.
That doesn’t exclude them from doing so again in the upcoming NFL draft as early as No. 10.
The Bengals haven’t gotten impressive on-field returns from those investments and lost a handful of players at the spot this offseason, including an All-Pro.
Here’s a quick rundown of the Bengals at edge going into the draft.
Who’s on the roster?
Boye Mafe was the “big” move for the Bengals this offseason at the edge. But he’s very similar to the Trey Hendrickson signing years ago: They’re hoping he’s ascending and will fully break out in their system on a new deal.
Otherwise, there are only question marks here. Former first-rounder Myles Murphy flashed last year, but it’s fair to question if it was an anomaly or if it will continue, especially as the rest of the defense took advantage of a soft schedule to close the year. He has 8.5 sacks and 32 pressures over three years and 47 games.
Shemar Stewart was a controversial pick in the first round last year because of his lack of college production. He had the messy contract holdout over the summer that cost him valuable time, then multiple nagging injuries. He appeared in just eight games.
Who departed this offseason?
That’s one of the best signings in Bengals free agency history, a successfully developed project and a solid rotational player, all lost.
Granted, everyone knows the contract drama with Hendrickson and he wasn’t coming back. But they’re putting loads of faith in their first-round picks to make up this difference.
Positional need: Major
There’s no such thing as too many pass-rushers in the NFL.
While there might be long-term concerns about the money and contract situations if they draft another first-round edge and they all pan out, Murphy and Stewart simply haven’t shown enough yet to make that a realistic concern right now.
The Bengals hope that kicking Stewart inside and getting varied with their looks, plus the addition of someone like Jonathan Allen alongside BJ Hill on the interior, will keep everyone fresh and the entire line productive.
There’s no reason to think they won’t consider another pass-rusher at 10th overall, whether it’s Rueben Bain or someone else, even after a trade down.
This feels a little like the offensive line years ago when they kept messing up with names like Cedric Ogbuehi: It all really comes down to whether Stewart and Myles can step up, but they need to keep taking swings while they wait.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: NFL draft preview: Where Bengals stand at edge
Reporting by Chris Roling, Bengals Wire / Bengals Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
