If they are going to make a run, these guys need to contribute.
The Cincinnati Bengals have a talented roster, but there are more than a few question marks.
Here are five players who need to step up in 2025.
Cornerback – Cam Taylor-Britt
Both Dax Hill and DJ Turner showed promise before injuries shortened their 2024 season, while Cam Taylor-Britt struggled. So why does he lead this list?
The Bengals defense needs to create turnovers, and Taylor-Britt is just the guy to do it. With 7 picks over the last two seasons, you know he can get the ball back in Joe Burrow’s hands; he just needs to get more consistent.
Defensive Tackle – Kris Jenkins
D.B. Cooper, sasquatch, and an interior pass rush. Three things we have been hopelessly seeking for years.
Jenkins played through injury and often out of position in his rookie season. Now with a brand-new position coach and a clean bill of health, the Bengals need their 2024 2nd Round pick to step up and get to the quarterback.
New addition Taven Bryan could also surprise, but Jenkins seems like the best bet to fill this desperate need.
Left Guard – Dylan Fairchild
Cordell Volson has not panned out at left guard, so the Bengals spent a slightly higher draft pick to replace him.
Fairchild has been one of the best pass-protectors in college football over the past couple of years. He was the strongest player on the Georgia offensive line and is still developing.
As if that wasn’t enough. A State Champion Wrestler, Fairchild, and the mixed martial artist, Scott Peters, seem to be the perfect combination of player and coach. Apparently, when they met at Georgia’s Pro Day, it was like a slow-motion scene from Chariots of Fire.
The rookie needs to grow up fast, but he is in a great position to do just that.
As a bonus, I’ll throw in Lucas Patrick here. The veteran right guard needs to step up as well, since it appears that he has been penciled in as the starting right guard.
Safety – Geno Stone
Last season, Geno Stone was more disappointing than The Matrix Reloaded. Seriously, I waited four years for that movie to come out, and they think they can just change everything we know about the fictional universe. Not cool.
Stone signed with the Bengals after a monster 7-interception season with the Ravens. When they simplified things in Cincinnati late last season, he seemed to settle in and had four picks.
Can he build on that late-season moment?
He needs to.
Linebacker – Demetrius Knight
With Germaine Pratt out of the picture, the former DoorDash driver Demetrius Knight has to deliver, and in a hurry.
While Pratt and even Logan Wilson worked slowly into their starting roles, Knight will be thrown right into the fray, and he will need to perform at a five-star level for the Bengals’ defense to succeed in 2025.