The offense gets most of the credit when it comes to the Cincinnati Bengals recently. However, they have had multiple top-10 scoring defenses over the last two seasons. 

Cincinnati has gotten big contributions from their defensive line and in their secondary. When it comes to the linebacker spot, it's been very solid, but not necessarily spectacular.

When ranking the top off-ball linebackers in the NFL, Pro Football Focus placed Germaine Pratt and Logan Wilson of the Bengals in Tier 5 as talented players that have some inconsistencies. 

Pratt graded out well on the surface level but actually finished the season with more negatively graded plays than positive ones. Still, it was a step in the right direction for him, going from a 46.1 coverage grade in 2021 to an 89.5 grade this past season.

As for Wilson, he improved on his coverage impact this past season, just not quite as much as his teammate Pratt.

Pratt may have some flaws but his total tackles and tackles for loss have increased in each of his four seasons with the Bengals. It was enough to earn him a three-year extension worth $20.5 million back in March. 

Wilson was mainly a rotational guy as a rookie in 2020. However, he's logged over 100 tackles in each of the last two years, and as long as the Bengals keep good players around him, especially up front, he can make plays. 

Pratt and Wilson have things to work on but they have shown steady improvement in other areas. So, if they can fine-tune a few things, the Bengals' linebacker group and their entire defense will take a step up in 2023.

Feature image via Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports