Glenn Kaplan
The Cincinnati Bengals are treating their off-season programs very seriously. Cincinnati has missed the playoffs the last three seasons. They are on the verge of having wholesale changes if they miss the playoffs once again in 2026. This is a very important season for head coach Zac Taylor. Quarterback Joe Burrow has a lot of positive vibes with this Bengals team this off-season. He feels like this Bengals team reminds him of the 2019 LSU Tigers.
One of the things that needed to be fixed during the Bengals off-season was the defense. They made moves to fix the defense. If it doesn’t pan out, it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Who are some of the Bengals players to potentially keep an eye on as the rest of the off-season progresses?
Ben Baby believes Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Josh Newton has been the surprise of the off-season
Ben Baby of espn.com wrote about which Bengals player has been very impressive this off-season. He thinks that cornerback Josh Newton has been one of the biggest surprises. Baby said, “There weren’t many team reps during offseason workouts, but Newton made the most of his chances. The third-year cornerback filled in as an outside corner and had an interception in a 7-on-7 period, Joe Burrow‘s lone offseason blemish. Newton hasn’t really been considered a viable option at that spot, but he might have put himself in the discussion as a depth player at outside cornerback behind Dax Hill and DJ Turner.”
Newton last season recorded 15 tackles and three pass deflections. He was a fifth-round selection for the Bengals during the 2024 NFL Draft. Newton could very well crack the roster once again for the Bengals defense in 2026. Hopefully, Cincinnati’s defense will have better results than it has over the last couple of seasons.
Depth Chart
The Bengals starting cornerbacks at the moment will be Dax Hill and DJ Turner II. Jalen Davis is projected to be the nickelback for the Bengals this season. Newton and Tacario Davis are projected to be the second team cornerbacks for Cincinnati. The other potential nickelback on this roster could be Ja’Sir Taylor. The cornerback position could be one of the weakest positions on the Bengals roster as the 2026 NFL season approaches.
This was one of the reasons why Cincinnati’s defense has been bad over the last couple of seasons. Newton and other corners are going to need to be a lot better if the Bengals want to make the playoffs. Cincinnati improved the defensive line this off-season. They now have Boye Mafe, Dexter Lawrence, and Jonathan Allen on the defensive line. Myles Murphy is the other defensive line starter for the Bengals. They have many new starters on this defense.
If the secondary can hold up its end of the bargain, this time is going to win many football games this season. It is good to see that Newton is performing well during the off-season programs. He will need to perform well during training camp and pre-season games in order than he secures a spot on the 53-man roster.
