Bengals' 4-for-2 roster shuffle will significantly improve their Achilles' heel

The Cincinnati Bengals came into the 2026 NFL offseason with a very clear goal of improving the defensive side of the ball.

It's been their Achilles' heel for a few years now, and with Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins only getting older and more expensive, the Bengals needed to upgrade their defense drastically.

As Ben Solak of ESPN notes, they did just that. Specifically, the Bengals' 4-for-2 roster shuffling along the defensive line will improve the one part of the defense that was proving to be their biggest issue.

Bengals' 4 DL upgrades were key upgrades over 2 vets

"Cincinnati Bengals defensive line. In: Boye Mafe, Dexter Lawrence II, Jonathan Allen, Cashius Howell. Out: Trey Hendrickson, Joseph Ossai," Solak writes. "The 2025 Bengals were dead last in pass rush win rate (28.8%). ...This is a much deeper and more balanced unit than it was last season."

The Bengals knew they needed to upgrade the defense, and with the league's worst pass rush unit last season, they focused their attention on the defensive line.

Dexter Lawrence II in a trade for the No. 10 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Cashius Howell in Round 2, and the signings of Boye Mafe and Jonathan Allen made up the four additions the Bengals made this offseason to improve the defensive line.

MORE: Bengals fans should worry about second-year linebackers in 2026

Meanwhile, Trey Hendrickson left in free agency for the Baltimore Ravens, and Joseph Ossai signed with the New York Jets.

With Myles Murphy, Shemar Stewart, B.J. Hill, T.J. Slaton, and Kris Jenkins Jr. all a part of the defensive line still, these four additions will more than replace the departing Hendrickson and Ossai.

The defense as a whole has been the Bengals' Achilles' heel for a few years now, and the defensive line has been the Achilles' heel of the Bengals struggling defense.

Solak ranked the Bengals DL upgrades as the seventh-best position group to be upgraded on this offseason, and it's more than deserving of this praise, as this unit should go from a weakness to a strength in 2026.

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