The Cincinnati Bengals defense has been nothing short of putrid in these last years. Thankfully, the team made some moves to improve their defense.
One player who is predicted to make a difference in Cincy’s defense is the newly acquired Bryan Cook.
“The Bengals signed Cook as a free agent after he has spent the past four years with one of the Bengals’ biggest rivals in Kansas City. He won two Super Bowls during his time with the Chiefs and is now looking to bring that success to Cincinnati,” Dylan Oakley wrote in a Stripe Hype article.
One could argue the Bengals’ safety position was one of the team’s biggest needs.
Cincy’s Defense Desperately Needed Help
Before we get into Bryan Cook’s impact, we need to talk about the Bengals defense before he got there. The Cincinnati Bengals defense has nowhere to go but up after the past two seasons. The Bengals ranked 26th in passing defense in 2025.
They ranked 31st in total defense in 2025 and 32nd in rushing defense which is dead last. Cincinnati allowed 380.9 yards per game and gave up 60 total touchdowns.
In 2024, the Bengals ranked 25th in total defense. They ranked 21st in passing defense and 19th in rushing defense. Cincinnati allowed 25 points per game in 2024 and gave up 348 yards a game to opposing teams.
I mean… where else can you go but up at that point?
Nonetheless, the Bryan Cook pickup will serve as a key pickup because he is an upgrade from Geno Stone. Stone, who once lead the league in interceptions in 2023, had a 2025 season to forget.
“Looking at what the Bengals had last year in Geno Stone, the potential improvement at safety could be huge,” Oakley wrote. “Stone came with a good reputation, but he really failed to live up to it. Last season, he had a missed tackle rate of 20%, which, for a player who is virtually the last line of defense, is a big worry.”
“Meanwhile, Cook’s missed tackle rate was just 5.6% last year, plus he also had more pass breakups, too, as he successfully defended six passes, compared to Stone’s four.”
The Bengals’ Offseason Pickups
Cincy signed veterans in the offseason to buffer their defense and all they have to do is put everything together.
In the ultimate gamble, the Bengals traded their 2026 first round pick to the New York Giants for Dexter Lawrence. Lawrence has been a dominant run-stuffer since coming into the league.
The 28-year-old run stuffer is a two-time First Team All-Pro and a two-time Pro Bowl selection.
The Cincinnati Bengals signed DT Jonathan Allen to a two-year, $26 million contract worth a maximum of $28 million. Last season with the Vikings, Allen ended up playing in all 17 games. In his only season with the Minnesota Vikings, he racked up 68 total tackles to go along with 3.5 sacks and a fumble recovery.
Not only does Cincy get secondary help, but they have built a pretty good defensive line during the offseason. A roster that has improved so much even Joe Burrow believes this is the best roster he’s had since he’s been in Cincy.
“I think this is the most talented roster that we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Burrow said in May.“
Bengals Defense Expected to Take Leap Due to One Player’s Impact