Jackson finished the 2024 regular season with 15 tackles (six solo), including 1.0 sacks, and one forced fumble across 13 games. Jackson was the Bengals' third-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he started the regular season on injured reserve due to a right knee sprain that he suffered during training camp. He made his NFL regular-season debut in Week 5 against the Ravens but didn't register his first tackle until Week 8 against the Eagles, and his lone sack came against Dorian Thompson-Robinson and the Browns in Week 16. Jackson didn't play more than 30 defensive snaps in a game this season, but he and fellow rookie Kris Jenkins could be the Bengals' starting defensive tackles in 2025 if B.J. Hill opts to sign with another team during the offseason.
Murphy finished the 2024 season with 20 tackles (11 solo) and one pass breakup across 13 games with Cincinnati. Selected No. 28 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, Murphy has been a massive disappointment through two seasons with the Bengals. After recording 3.0 sacks in 17 appearances as a rookie, Murphy didn't claim a starting gig off the edge in his second season and failed to take down the quarterback a single time, accruing just four QB hits total across 353 defensive snaps. Murphy needs to take multiple steps forward in 2025. The Bengals are starved for pass rushers behind Trey Hendrickson, who led the NFL with 17.5 sacks, accounting for over 48 percent of Cincinnati's team total of 36 sacks. Hendrickson is now scheduled to hit free agency in March.
Jenkins played in 15 regular-season games in 2024 and finished with 31 tackles (10 solo), including 3.0 sacks. Jenkins was selected by the Bengals in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 49th overall. He missed the first two games of the regular season after undergoing a procedure on his thumb, but he was able to make his NFL regular-season debut against the Commanders in Week 3. He logged his first NFL sack in Week 9 against the Raiders, and he had arguably his best game in Week 16 against the Browns when he registered 2.0 sacks on Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Jenkins could join fellow rookie McKinnley Jackson as the Bengals' starting defensive tackles in 2025 if veteran B.J. Hill opts to leave in free agency.
Turner (collarbone) finished the 2024 season with 29 tackles (24 solo) and eight pass breakups across 11 games with Cincinnati. The No. 60 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, Turner started six of the 11 games in which he appeared but missed the final six contests with a broken collarbone, landing him on injured reserve. He took over as an every-down outside cornerback in Week 5 and held the position until his injury in Week 11. It's unclear what the Bengals' plans are at cornerback going into 2025, but this defense needs upgrades at all three levels after the team allowed the fourth-most passing touchdowns in the NFL, leading to the firing of DC Lou Anarumo.
Newton finished the 2024 regular season with 31 tackles (27 solo) and seven pass defenses (including one interception) across 17 games. The rookie fifth-round pick mostly contributed on special teams in the first half of the regular season, but he was inserted into the first-team defense following the Bengals' Week 12 bye after DJ Turner broke his collarbone against the Chargers in Week 11. Newton logged 23 tackles (21 solo) and five pass defenses across his six starts and registered his first-career interception in Week 14 against the Titans. Newton should have the opportunity to compete against Turner, Dax Hill (knee) and Cam Taylor-Britt for a starting spot at outside corner during training camp in the summer.
Hubbard (knee) finished the 2024 season with 41 tackles (25 solo), including 2.0 sacks, two pass breakups, including one interception, one forced fumble and one safety across 14 games with Cincinnati. Hubbard's 2.0 sacks, three tackles for loss and nine QB hits were all career lows for the 29-year-old. He missed the final three games of the season with a PCL injury in his knee. Hubbard is signed through 2025 but is slated for a raise to $9 million next season, a number that may prove to be too high considering the Bengals will be looking to pay Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and possibly Trey Hendrickson. That coupled with Hubbard's dip in production could make him a candidate for release.
Ossai tallied 46 total tackles, including 5.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and one pass defended across 17 games in 2024. The third-year defensive end from Texas saw a significant increase in playing time in 2024, logging 225 more defensive snaps than his previous career high (318) and setting new personal bests in tackles, sacks, and forced fumbles in a single season. Ossai made the first three starts of his career from Weeks 16 through 18, filling in for the injured Sam Hubbard (knee), and recorded 14 total tackles, including 2.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and one pass defended during that stretch. He just completed the final season of his rookie contract and is now set to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason. Ossai is likely to secure a starting role or a key spot in a team's pass-rush rotation following his strong performances as a starter in 2024.
Bell recorded 55 total tackles, one forced fumble and two passes defended, including one interception, over 17 games in 2024. Bell opened the season as Cincinnati's top strong safety, logging 48 total tackles and two passes defended, including one interception, over the team's first 11 games. However, he struggled in coverage, allowing a 108.8 passer rating when targeted, and the Bengals' defensive allowed an average of 26.9 points per game through Week 11. As a result, he was benched in favor of Jordan Battle following the team's Week 12 bye. After Battle took over as the starter, Bell recorded just seven total tackles over 80 defensive snaps. The veteran safety is now set to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and will likely sign a one-year prove-it deal following his benching in 2024.