Bengals Land Surprising Spot in Latest NFL Projection Model

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor speaks with media during the 2026 NFL Draft, Saturday, April 25, 2026, at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati. Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bengals Land Surprising Spot in Latest NFL Projection Model

Originally posted on Cincinnati Bengals on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated May 12, 2026 6:24 AM ET

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The Cincinnati Bengals have made as many offseason improvements as any team in the league. They're better across the board.

While the offense didn't need help, they added some depth along the offensive line as well as Colbie Young at wide receiver. Pair that with the fact that Joe Burrow is healthy and this unit should be better.

On defense, the Bengals upgraded their unit across the board, adding talent like Bryan Cook and Tacario Davis in the secondary, as well as Jonathan Allen, Dexter Lawrence, Boye Mafe, and a few others up front.

The Bengals should have high hopes going into the season.

The Athletic's Austin Mock recently put together an NFL projection model to project where each team in the league ranks going into the season. Mock's model ranked the Bengals as the No. 16 team in the league, which puts them much lower than the Baltimore Ravens, but much higher than the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns.

Bengals Still Have To Prove They're The Real Deal

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"Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins make for a pretty good starting point. The problem is, you can't win a Super Bowl with three players," Mock wrote. "The rest of Cincinnati's offense grades out as below average, and its defense isn't much better. Even after trading for DT Dexter Lawrence, the Bengals still have concerns at edge rusher and linebacker. The secondary is actually better than most would think, but the Bengals desperately need to find ways to get after quarterbacks — and to keep Burrow upright."

The Bengals will need to prove they're the real deal this season. They have more talent this season than they have over the last few years, but the game isn't played on paper. It's played on the field, and the Bengals need to prove that their defense can come together.

Mafe has an elite pass-rush win rate, but he recorded only a handful of sacks last season. Lawrence generates a lot of pressure, but he only recorded half a sack last year. Cashius Howell has all the potential in the world, but if his short arms handicap him from beating lengthy offensive tackles, he's going to struggle.

This isn't to say the Bengals won't be good. Mafe, Howell, and Lawrence will likely make huge impacts for the Bengals, but the fans shouldn't expect any projections to suggest they're going to win the Super Bowl until the season starts.

Once the Bengals get on the field and begin putting everything together, the league will take notice.