Multiple new starters are coming to the Cincinnati Bengals’ defense. Help is inevitably arriving at safety, linebacker, and defensive end sometime between the start of free agency and the end of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Finding that help at defensive tackle may be a bit challenging before the draft arrives. 10 of A to Z Sports’ top-100 impending free agents are interior defensive linemen, and only three are under the age of 30.

The pickings are slim, and there’s a good chance Cincinnati leaves next month without signing anyone to help out the interior their front four.

What the Bengals are now showing and telling reflects that likely future.

Bengals enter free agency bullish on incumbent defensive tackles

Cincinnati could play a game right now and be fully stocked with interior d-linemen. B.J. Hill and T.J. Slaton Jr. are starters at 3-technique and nose tackle, respectively, with Kris Jenkins Jr. and McKinnley Jackson backing them up.

The makeup of the group hasn’t really changed much since 2024, with Slaton’s arrival last year being the only main change. Lacking from that quartet, however, is a reliable pass rusher, and it’s why there’s thought to upgrading the position this offseason via adding that needed element.

Director of player personnel Duke Tobin was asked about the group Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine and expressed a noted level of confidence in Hill and Jenkins, the two names who would be tasked with trying to push the pocket the most.

“I think B.J. Hill really battled through significant things this year to where he couldn’t practice all the time,” Tobin explained to Bengals beat reporters after his combine podium session. “I think he got that taken care of, and I think he might have a real bounce back when he can practice and so forth. But he was a warrior for us, because he had significant things that were going on in his foot and ankle. And, you know, we tried to get them to Sundays, and he battled through. That’s what he’s all about. Those are the type of guys you need. And then Kris [Jenkins] was coming on before he got hurt. And I think Kris can kind of play all along the D-line, which is something that Al and [defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery] want these guys to have, flexibility and the ability to play in multiple techniques. I think Kris has a chance to really do that.”

Those are the words you use to ensure the spoken names will have a place on the roster next season. Hill and Jenkins each have two years remaining on their respective contracts.

Additionally, if you aren’t expecting to find better players on the open market, you’d want your players to feel secure.

But free agency is only half the equation, which is why Tobin and Co. have been busy this week away from the media.

Bengals have met with top defensive tackle prospects at the combine

If upgrades can’t be found amongst the available veterans, Cincinnati sure looks like a team targeting a defensive tackle in the upcoming draft. Below are the names who’ve had confirmed meetings with the Bengals, along with their rank in the A to Z Sports Mock Draft Database:

• Peter Woods (No. 16)
• Caleb Banks (No. 24)
• Kayden McDonald (No. 26)
• Dontay Corleone (No. 99)
• Zane Durant (No. 112)
• Zxavian Harris (No. 135)

Three big names at the top along with a couple possible risers in the process. Due diligence that is absolutely necessary if Cincy wants to feel comfortable about the position entering this season.

Should free agency pass and there are no new names at DT in the locker room, the Bengals will be entering the draft with a dire need to add a rookie to the mix. The combine is where they really affirm which options intrigue them the most as they confirm character, medical, and physical attributes about players they’ve watched on tape and heard about through scouts and sources.

Tobin may be singing the praises of Hill and the rest of the room for now, but with the right opportunity in front of them, the dynamic of the position group could change. It appears Cincinnati is looking at the draft as the most likely avenue to make that happen.