The Cincinnati Bengals‘ defense is in bad shape. It was extremely poor in 2024 – ranked 25th in the NFL in yards per game and points allowed – and it doesn’t seem like it’s getting better.
One of the players the Bengals are counting on to help right the ship is second-round pick Demetrius Knight, Jr. The rookie linebacker out of South Carolina (and two other schools, but this is the NIL world that we live in now) has made some amazing plays in training camp practices, but hasn’t looked so hot in two preseason games.
For what it’s worth, Bengals‘ head coach Zac Taylor isn’t sounding any alarm bells.
“There’s learning to be done, but he’s had an outstanding camp,” Taylor said. “Demetrius is a guy that sees something once and you make a correction, and the next time he’s lights out.”
Demetrius Knight is learning from Trey Hendrickson
While defensive end Trey Hendrickson is not currently practicing (did you hear about his contract dispute with the Brown family?), it sounds like he is helping his teammates in any way he can (outside of, you know, signing a deal and joining them on the field).
Knight said he’s been picking the NFL sacker leader’s brain and taking in everything he can.
If I can learn key pointers from the Trey Hendrickson, I’m going to absorb it all,” Knight told reporters recently. “Instead of standing there watching other guys run around, why not learn?”
Hopefully for Knight and the Bengals it’s sinking in. Because right now there is some cause for concern. Sure, it’s only two preseason games, but the Bengals – through every fault of their own – can’t really afford to wait.
Besides Demetrius Knight, how is the other high draft pick doing?
To reiterate, the Bengals defense stinks. In addition to being poor with stopping people, they couldn’t even make plays or get sacks last year. Of their 36 team sacks, which were good for seventh-to-last in the NFL, 17.5 of them were by the guy who is currently sitting on the sidelines. It doesn’t help that first-round pick Shemar Stewart only had 4.5 sacks in his entire Texas A&M career, but here we are.
Stewart has been working hard to get caught up. He was extremely late getting signed too (see a pattern with Cincinnati? Maybe they should take a page from their baseball neighbors on how to woo star talent). But, he’s feeling better and has high hopes for himself personally for 2025.
“I’m excited to show the production on the field,” Stewart told FOX 19’s Jeremy Rauch. “I’m trying to go after that big award for rookies this year. So, I’m trying to do my big one this year. … It would mean a lot, because I feel like for me to go get it, it would mean I put in an extreme amount of work. And if I do win, that means I busted my tail to go try and get it.”
The Bengals would love nothing more to have someone – anyone – produce and stand out on the defensive side of the ball. Will they be getting the Knight who made the one-handed interceptions in training camp practices? Or the one who struggled in the exhibition games? What will the team get out of Stewart? Will Hendrickson even play another down for them?
You can see how these are ginormous questions that need answers quickly, or Joe Burrow will have more post-game press conference hostage videos this season. If he starts holding up today’s newspaper at the podium, you know the season is sunk.
Bengals’ Coach Not Worried about Key Rookie’s Poor Preseason