Bengals 2025 Minicamp Roster Outlook

LINEBACKERS (8)

The Number: Wilson, the longest tenured Bengal on defense, comes into his sixth year leading all NFL linebackers in this decade with 11 interceptions. He also has the fifth most post-season linebacker tackles of the 2020s. He’s a dozen games away from becoming the fifth Bengal linebacker to play 80 in the 2000s, joining Vincent Rey, Rey Maualuga, Germaine Pratt and Brian Simmons.

The Glimpse: It may be a re-made room under new coach Mike Hodges, with rookies Knight and Carter, as well as the Super Bowl champ Burks. But it’s still going to be a hard five to dent. Especially with Njongmeta bringing another year of experience after an impressive rookie year. Plus, Heyward, Duke’s Vincent Rey Award winner, came off the practice squad when Wilson got hurt late in the year and showed up big in his first six NFL games down the stretch, smothering a Steelers’ fumbled punt in the finale at the Joe Burrow 33-yard-line.

SECONDARY (17)

S Geno Stone (6), CB Jalen Davis (5), CB Marco Wilson (5), S Tycen Anderson (4), CB Dax Hill (4), CB Cam Taylor-Britt (4), S Jordan Battle (3), CB DJ Ivey (3), CB DJ Turner II (3), CB Nate Brooks (2), CB Josh Newton (2), S Daijahn Anthony (2), CB Lance Robinson (2), S Jaylen Key (1), S P.J. Jules (1), CB Bryan Lux (R), S Shaquan Loyal (R).

The Number: Since 2022, Taylor-Britt is the only NFL cornerback who has two pick-sixes to go with at least seven interceptions and 33 passes defensed. That includes defending Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II, who has one pick-six and mirrors Taylor-Britt’s seven and 33, respectively, over the last three seasons.

The Glimpse: They can all run and cover well enough that position coach Charles Burks calls his cornerbacks room the deepest and most versatile group he’s had in his four seasons here.

Hill was their best cornerback last year before he went down. He won’t work this week, but is expected back at some point in training camp as he recovers from his ACL injury. They’re banking on Taylor-Britt reverting to his solid self that he was down the stretch last year after rebounding from two benchings. Newton drew praise during a solid rookie year pressed into service as a starter. All Ivey does is keep showing up with the more snaps he gets, and now he’s coming off his first offseason not restrained by the draft or rehab. Can Davis, a reliable and gritty backup slot corner and the last link to the Super Bowl cornerback room, crack one of the six spots with everyone taking turns in the slot this spring?

They’re banking on Stone and Battle being more settled at safety in their second year as a tandem. In the last two seasons, Stone has racked up 11 interceptions, second only to Lions safety Kerby Joseph’s 13 in the league. Anderson is always interesting as a prolific preseason player who has emerged as one of the league’s top cover players on special teams. Anthony, last year’s seventh-rounder, looks to be on a track with his corner versatility. Potentially, he’d not only be the fourth safety, but maybe the seventh cornerback in one of the 10 secondary spots.

SPECIALISTS (4)

The Number: Rehkow broke every club record imaginable for a rookie punter last season when he finished sixth in the league in net average and ninth in gross average. After his first 53 punts, Rehkow’s 49.1 gross has a four-yard edge on franchise leader Kevin Huber.

The Glimpse: After leading his unit to the No. 1 spot in last year’s Pro Football Focus special teams rankings, coordinator Darrin Simmons talked about improving the field-goal operation. He’ll oversee a training camp joust at long snapper between Adomitis, a fourth-year incumbent, and the undrafted rookie Wagner.