The Cincinnati Bengals headed into yet another offseason with the goal of trying to build a defense that won't completely implode when faced with the slightest degree of resistance, and their constant back-and-forth with Trey Hendrickson certainly didn't put them in a very advantageous position.
Cincinnati decided to spend most of its 2025 NFL Draft capital on improving this unit, which should be complemented. Even with many top picks at their disposal and the need for another star pass rusher next to Hendrickson staring them in the face, Cincinnati managed to take the riskiest option possible.
The Bengals used a first-round pick on Texas A&M stud Shemar Stewart.