Bengals' defensive line decline: Why a big investment is instead a big problem

Nobody can claim the Cincinnati Bengals failed to invest in their defensive line. The team invested in the position group to a greater degree than any organization in the NFL.

Cincinnati has the fourth-most 2024 cap money allocated to defensive linemen, according to Over the Cap. All four starters up front are paid among the top 32 at their position in average annual value. Trey Hendrickson (11th), Sheldon Rankins (24th), B.J. Hill (31st) and Sam Hubbard (32nd) are all compensated as top-line starters.

Behind them, the Bengals have backfilled depth with high draft picks. They have selected seven defensive linemen in the first four rounds of the draft since 2021, most in the NFL.

Put those two facts together and you have a group with as much collective pedigree and expectations as any in football.

So, how is it possible the defensive line has become the Bengals’ biggest weakness?

That’s a question the coaches, staff and front office might be mumbling to themselves for the next four months if the season continues in the direction set in motion over the first three weeks.

The winless Bengals shifted from being run on for two straight weeks to the tune of 319 combined rushing yards allowed to failing to generate any semblance of pass rush beyond Hendrickson in a historically poor defensive performance against Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders on “Monday Night Football.”

“That is certainly an area that was not good enough last week,” coach Zac Taylor said, “just getting pressure on the quarterback.”

The Bengals are victims of the injury bug at the position. Last year’s first-round pick, Myles Murphy, was expected to play a significantly larger role and grow into a premier pass rusher opposite Hendrickson. He injured his knee in training camp and is on injured reserve, eligible to return in Week 5, but it’s still uncertain if he’ll be back by then.

They lost veteran edge Cam Sample early in camp, and rookie Kris Jenkins made his debut Monday after thumb surgery earlier this month. Third-round pick McKinnley Jackson injured his knee during camp and moved to IR.

Then, the 29-year-old Hill and 30-year-old Rankins strained their hamstrings in Kansas City, missing last week. Hill is closer to a potential return than Rankins.

Hubbard returned for the opener but missed nearly all of camp with a knee injury of his own.

The team opted not to pay star nose tackle DJ Reader, who signed with the Detroit Lions in the offseason. In a lagging defensive tackle market, the Bengals never paid for a big-body replacement, instead waiting for Jackson at the 97th pick in the draft.

Health plays a factor but doesn’t hide the ugly reality. This group was viewed as a potential weakness before the injuries, and those investments have done little to move that narrative on the path to 0-3.

“I’m hoping that, at some point, we’ll get BJ and Sheldon back. Myles at some point is a guy that can certainly help,” defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said. “We’re just gonna keep working with the guys we have. Those guys have given all that they’ve got. They’ve done a good, solid job. They gotta get better.”

Consider three weeks of pass rush, and the lack of help for Hendrickson leaps off the page.

Hendrickson has more than done his part and been a total menace off the edge, logging 40 percent of the Bengals’ total pressures.

Where do Taylor and Anarumo go from here? They are tweaking, but don’t expect a monumental shift when the team takes the field in Carolina on Sunday. That’s the one thing Taylor vows to avoid.

“OK, we lost the game, and things looked bleak in some areas, but let’s fine-tune how we can actually improve and not just decide we have to make wholesale changes, because that’s not the answer,” he said.

One of the most troubling aspects of the struggles has been Hubbard’s inability to affect the passer. He ranks 204 out of 204 in PFF pass-rush grade, and his win percentages aren’t much better.

Hubbard has been a staple of the Bengals’ defensive success since being selected in the third round of 2018. He’s a multiyear captain, the roster’s longest-tenured player and a foundational core member through the franchise renaissance.

This past offseason he had a complete deltoid ligament reconstruction to fix an ankle injury and a tightrope surgery. His strength has never been rushing the passer, but he hasn’t looked the same, and missing the majority of camp due to injury didn’t help.

Anarumo said he has talked to Hubbard about scaling back his snap count, which is at 75 percent, and the benefits of a rotation. For now, sixth-round pick Cedric Johnson would be in a position to take some of those until Murphy returns and soaks up a bigger chunk.

“I thought (Hubbard) showed glimpses in the last two games,” Anarumo said. “But I think we all have to do better. I expect Sam will continue to get stronger and better each week. … It’s a tough position to play, period. But it’s a tough position to play when you’re still getting your legs underneath you. Hopefully, when the cavalry comes in, we’ll be able to get him a little bit of a break.”

Joseph Ossai was given a golden opportunity when Murphy went down to shine in an expanded role for the first time in his four-year career. He has failed to make the most of it, and two ugly reactions against Daniels’ zone read in big spots were crushing blows in the game — and the staff’s trust level.

Jayden Daniels runs in for SIX. @Commanders have a 21-10 lead.

📺: #WASvsCIN on ABC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus and ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/QYHltyTCVN

— NFL (@NFL) September 24, 2024

“We still got to work with Joe and still got to get him to a position where he can help us win,” Anarumo said.

Zach Carter went from potentially on the bubble early in camp to having the most snaps among all defensive tackles. The 2022 third-round pick has fluctuated in weight, trying to move inside one year, then find more burst the next, but also failed to provide disruption up the middle.

“I would say that those guys would say, sure, you know, I need to do better,” Anarumo said. “And that’s in line with all of us, really. But yes, I think we’re expecting a lot from Joe. We’re expecting a lot from Zach. Hopefully, it picks up from here.”

Anarumo turned the focus onto himself to start the conversation, specifically pointing to communication issues with substitutions that caused problems in the game, as well as another batch of 11 missed tackles for 70 extra yards Monday. Poor fits from the defensive backs played a role as well.

Placing all the blame on the defensive line would be ignoring the wide swath of issues necessary to allow 6.3 points per drive to a rookie QB.

But the defensive line has been paid and drafted to be a strength of this team and not a liability. Those investments haven’t paid off. Those picks haven’t panned out. Injuries aside, the fact it’s reached this point is a large red flag waving in the breeze atop Paycor Stadium.

The “cavalry” might come, as Anarumo pointed out, and slight alterations are in the works with personnel and scheme. Different opponents will provide less troubling matchups.

But don’t expect any trades or significant additions. The Bengals failed to find a tackle beyond Rankins this offseason, opting to rely on two rookies, and are paying for it the same way they paid for the debilitating transition from two quality veteran safeties to two draft picks in 2023.

There’s still time for health and progress to end up the most important part of a comeback story, but time is running out quickly on those mattering enough to affect 2024.

“We gotta get stops and have them punt the football,” Anarumo said. “If we can play the way we did the first two weeks when the scoring was manageable, then we’re in a good position. We’re gonna be fine. That’s what matters the most.”

(Photo of Sam Hubbard and Jay Tufele failing to get to Commanders QB Jayden Daniels: Ian Johnson / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)