It’s the absolute dead period of the offseason, and the Cincinnati Bengals are resting up before training camp. We’re continuing on with our position-by-position breakdown of the Bengals’ 90-man roster and depth chart. Check out previous position breakdowns here.

No part of the Bengals’ roster has seen more of a facelift than the group tasked with getting in the face of the quarterback.

Bengals Defensive Line Depth Chart

Starters: Dexter Lawrence (NT), B.J. Hill (DT), Jonathan Allen (DT), Myles Murphy (EDGE), Boye Mafe (EDGE)
Backups: Shemar Stewart, T.J. Slaton Jr., Kris Jenkins Jr. McKinnley Jackson, Cedric Johnson, Cashius Howell, Landon Robinson, Isaiah Foskey, Jordan Jefferson, Howard Cross III, Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr.

The Starters

B.J. Hill and Myles Murphy are the two returning starters to the group. Hill has been a mainstay since being traded to Cincinnati right before the 2021 season. He’s only missed two games in his Bengals tenure, and his year-over-year production has been quite stable. His best season remains his first back in 2021 when he was a part of a three-deep defensive tackle rotation with Larry Ogunjobi and DJ Reader. This is what Cincy is trying to recreate with Jonathan Allen and Dexter Lawrence now alongside him.

Allen was signed in the early days of free agency. He was made available after being released by the Minnesota Vikings as a salary cap casualty. He’s a few years removed from his Pro Bowl days with the Washington Commanders. The goal is to recapture some of that ability with the benefit of splitting snaps with Hill to stay fresh. Lawrence was the big fish no one expected the Bengals to catch this offseason. He was traded from the New York Giants in exchange for the No. 10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The three-time Pro Bowler had a “down” year in 2025 in terms of box score stats, but was still very productive in terms of winning as a pass rusher.

Murphy finally became a starter after Trey Hendrickson went down with injury in the middle of last season. He settled in after the midpoint of the year and had the best stretch of games in his young career. Even Joe Burrow took notice. He is set to play on a contract year in 2026 unless he gets extended prior to Week 1.

The Backups

There’s a lot of draft investment here. Shemar Stewart was last year’s first-round pick. He missed a large chunk of his rookie season due to injury. He will be counted on as one of the main second-stringers to play on the edge, and inside on passing downs. DTs Kris Jenkins Jr. and McKinnley Jackson were Day 2 picks from the 2024 draft and are going to be challenged for playing time more than ever. Cashius Howell was Cincy’s earliest draft pick from this year in the second round and figures to play just as much, if not more, than his former college teammate Stewart.

T.J. Slaton Jr. was the starting nose tackle last year and while Lawrence is starting over him now, he’s staying on to be an active backup. Landon Robinson will look to force the Bengals to go really heavy at DT as a seventh-rounder who could’ve gone much earlier in this year’s draft. Maybe he pushes Jenkins or Jackson off the roster entirely.

Cedric Johnson is the other name to really watch. He’s entering his third season and has stood out when given rare chances to rush the passer off the edge. Keeping him on would likely bring the group to over 10 players. It will be much harder for the likes of Isaiah Foskey, Jordan Jefferson, Howard Cross III, and Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr. to make the cut.

Story to watch

How many is too many? There’s a real chance the Bengals go 11-deep here with potentially six DTs. Allen and Lawrence represent the dire need for new talent at the position, and Robinson is an intriguing piece to develop for the long run. Jenkins and Jackson have flashed here and there, but are not as safe as their draft status would have you believe.

Pressure is the name of the game with this group, and figurative pressure will be on them to deliver this year. The best way for Cincinnati to field a competent defense is with a competent d-line. The investments have been made, and now it’s time for the returns to be positive.

Projected Players on the 53-man roster

Starters: Dexter Lawrence (NT), B.J. Hill (DT), Jonathan Allen (DT), Myles Murphy (EDGE), Boye Mafe (EDGE)
Backups: Shemar Stewart, T.J. Slaton Jr., Kris Jenkins Jr., Cedric Johnson, Cashius Howell, Landon Robinson