Here we’ll be breaking down the current state of the Bengals roster position by position ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft. Cincinnati is hoping to get back into Super Bowl contention, but they’ll have to address some key points on the roster to do so.

1. Offensive Tackle

Year after year offensive tackle seems to be high up on the Bengals board of needs. They just can’t seem to get the position right even after decades of free agent signings and day two draft picks. But 2024 may finally be the year the Bengals solidify their bookend tackles. Cincinnati hasn’t been presented with an opportunity this fruitful in a long time.

The Bengals actually addressed right tackle earlier this offseason in free agency. The addition of the massive former Patriot Trent Brown gives the Bengals a pair of huge tackles with both starters standing at an intimidating 6’8. Still, The Bengals only put a band aid on the right side of their offensive line with this move. Brown, 31, with an extensive injury history is no guarantee to play a full year. Only signed through the 2024 season, tackle is still both an immediate need and future need for the Bengals.

Cincinnati will have the opportunity to address this need in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. In such a richly talented first round offensive class, the Bengals should have their pick between two or three tackles they like at 18th overall. The Bengals shouldn’t have this opportunity, their roster is too good to be picking anywhere near this high. But after the unfortunate injury to Joe Burrow the Bengals have risen up the draft board. Similar to how the Bengals were in position to select Ja’Marr Chase at 5th overall after their season fell apart of Joe Burrow’s injury in his rookie season.

The tackle talent expected to be available is rare, even for 18th overall. Due to a rich draft class at Quarterback and Wide Receiver, some of the top tackles are expected to slip down the board. The Bengals could find themselves staring at a home run pick if any of the prospects such as Taliese Fuaga, Olu Fashanu, Amarius Mims, and J.C. Latham are available to Cincinnati. In the last five drafts, the 4th offensive tackle was taken off the board later than pick 18 in three out of the five instances. Given that Joe Alt is the clear OT1, at least one of the aforementioned tackles should be available.

Fixing the tackle position would be huge for the Bengals who have had poor play there for as long as a can remember. Protecting your franchise quarterback should always be priority number one. And when you have an opportunity like the Bengals do in 2024, they should take it.

2. Defensive Tackle

After losing one of the best nose tackles in the NFL in D.J. Reader to Detroit, the Bengals interior defensive line room went into a state of panic. After signing pass rusher Sheldon Rankins, the outlook is a little less bleak. But the position is still an urgent need.

The Bengals were historically bad at stopping the run last year, for an AFC North team that spells death. Going 1-5 in the division like they did last year isn’t going to get them where they need to go. Stuffing the run wasn’t the only issue for this group. The interior pass rush was almost nonexistent. Rankins will certainly help in that department but relying on a 30-year-old as your lone producer isn’t very smart for a contender. The Bengals need a run stuffer to replace Reader and another pass rusher in the middle. Being historically unlikely to find an elite defensive tackle outside of the top 50, a premium pick is needed here.

3. Cornerback

The Bengals feature a very young and uber athletic secondary. However they lack depth at outside cornerback, and that needs to be fixed. Living in the AFC you need a strong secondary to combat that gauntlet of quarterbacks. In 2023 the Bengals had three outside corners play 600+ snaps, the two years prior Eli Apple played over 1,887 defensive snaps as the team’s “backup” outside corner. You have to rely on more than just one starter on the outside at cornerback. Right now, the Bengals next man up behind Cam Taylor-Britt and D.J. Turner is second year 7th round pick D.J. Ivey coming off 21 career defensive snaps and a torn ACL.

4. Interior Offensive Line

The Bengals should be doing anything and everything in their power to protect Joe Burrow, especially after two season ending injuries out of four seasons with the other two seasons ending in deep in the playoffs after Burrow was sacked 5+ times.

2024 is a deep interior offensive line class and the Bengals currently hold 10 draft picks. Cincinnati needs to take advantage and find a future starter in the middle of their offensive line. Center Ted Karras and Right Guard Alex Cappa are both adequate starters. However, they’re aging, aren’t overly athletic or strong, and their contracts will be expiring soon with Karras set to hit the open market after 2024 and Cappa after 2025. The Bengals need to get ahead of this and find the future at those positions.

Every team should be investing in the offensive line each offseason. The problem of too many starters or too much depth has never existed.

5. Wide Receiver

The Bengals need an infusion of speed and explosiveness to their wide receiver room. With Tyler Boyd gone and Tee Higgins future in stripes in jeopardy, the Bengals would be smart to pick from a richly talented wide receiver class. Cincinnati needs to prepare for the eventual and increasing likely scenario of life after Tee Higgins. Behind Chase and Higgins, the Bengals have very little experience at wide receiver. Surrounding your quarterback with weapons is always important and if they can find a day one contributor early in this year’s draft, the Bengals would once again possess and elite wide receiver trio.

6. Tight End

Free Agent Mike Gesicki is the best tight end Joe Burrow has had to throw to in his career. Vise versa, Joe Burrow is the best quarterback Mike Gesicki has had throwing to him. On a one-year deal, there is potential for a longer working relationship there. Yet, if the trend of one-year rentals at tight end continues, the Bengals will be looking for another tight end in 2025. They could find the future at the position in this year’s draft and solidify a cheap and reliable third or fourth passing option for the next four years.

7. Defensive End

NFL pass rushers will always be at a premium, any opportunity to add one should be taken. The Bengals have almost solely relied on Pro Bowler Trey Hendrickson for pass rush production off the edge. They’re hoping former first rounder Myles Murphy takes the next step. With veteran Sam Hubbard setting the edge vs the run, they’re in a solid state at defensive end in 2024. But depth and role players Joseph Ossai and Cam Sample are set for free agency after this season. The Bengals could be looking to fill out that room sooner than later. For a team who can use more pass rush production, edge shouldn’t be counted out at any point in this draft.

8. Running Back

The Bengals future at running back is here following Joe Mixon’s trade to Houston. Sophomore Chase Brown will be building off an exciting second half of 2023 and newly signed Zack Moss looks to bring in more explosiveness to the running back room. Still, the Bengals lack size at the position with both backs coming in at 5’9. In the AFC North, you need a bruiser. There are a few opportunities to find that size and play style in the middle to late rounds of the NFL draft to really round out that running back room.

9. Punter

The Bengals seemingly whiffed on rookie Punter Brad Robbins in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The only way to make that pick worse is going back to the punter well in back-to-back drafts. Using draft capital on a punter is a risky move and when it doesn’t work out you don’t double down and use another pick there. You cut your losses and sign a free agent to compete with the guy you drafted. Cincinnati needs to figure out the punting situation after losing too many field position battles in 2023.

10. Linebacker

Starters Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt are both locked in at least through the 2026 season. However, the depth behind them needs more. Akeem Davis-Gaither who just re-signed this offseason was only brought back on a one-year extension. Other depth pieces Markus Baisley and Joe Bachie both remain free agents. Having already committed financially to Wilson and Pratt, the Bengal can’t afford to pay for depth at that position. While not an urgent need, if the opportunity is right, the Bengals would be wise to find the future depth at linebacker late in the 2024 draft.

11. Safety

The Bengals have put a lot of investment into the safety position in recent years, so it is no surprise to see it this far down on the list. Draft picks Dax Hill, Jordan Battle and free agents Geno Stone and Vonn Bell give them four starting quality safeties to rotate with.

12. Kicker

The Bengals don’t have to even think about who’s kicking field goals for them for years granted they pony up the money for Evan McPherson, who tied the playoff record for most field goals made with 14 in 2021.

13. Quarterback

Last but certainly not least, this is where every team would like their quarterback position to be ranked on a list of team needs. The Bengals have their franchise guy. Now it’s about protecting him. Even backup Jake Browning who won four games last year is an exclusive rights free agent after 2024.