Chiefs Rivals Land Two NFL Draft 'Bust' Candidates

The Bengals have been the only team to threaten Kansas City's hold on the AFC since Patrick Mahomes and company laid hands on the Lamar Hunt trophy since the Chiefs reclaimed the crown named after their founder in 2020.

While the Bills have come close on a variety of occasions, the only team to defeat the Chiefs in the playoffs (not including Super Bowls) in this decade has been the Cincinnati Bengals.

While the Bengals have retained their offensive stars, the stout defense that delivered Cincinnati an AFC title has slowly gone away, with the Bengals either failing to draft talent or allowing contributors to leave for free like Jessie Bates.

And it appears that the Bengals have failed again, as two of the defenders they selected in the 2025 NFL Draft were listed by Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame as rookies most likely to become busts in the AFC.

Demetrius Knight Jr, a linebacker from South Carolina, was selected 49th overall.

"The first of two Bengals defenders on this list, Knight has some obvious concerns." Wrote Verderame. "For one, he turns 25 years old in July, making him one of the oldest players in this class. Another issue is the fact he spent six years at college across three programs and didn't become a plus-player until he was at Charlotte in 2023, when he was already older than almost everyone he played against."

"In Cincinnati, he's in line to be a rotational player at first behind Germaine Pratt and Logan Wilson. By the time he's a starter, he'll be the age most guys are when they're signing a second deal."

Shemar Stewart was the Bengals' first-round selection and the second defensive end drafted in the first round by Cincinnati in the last three years.

"Stewart is a freak of an athlete. At 6' 5" and 267 pounds, Stewart torched the scouting combine with a 4.59 40 time. However, the question surrounding Stewart throughout his three years with the Aggies is: Where has the production been?"

"Stewart played 37 games in College Station and notched just 12 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. If the traits can turn into numbers and impact, the Bengals should be thrilled about landing Stewart at pick No. 17. However, if he continues to struggle finding results despite obvious talent, Cincinnati could be wondering why it didn’t grab a more polished defender at such a premium spot."

It should be noted that Josh Simmons was ranked as the fifth player on the list but his concerns stem from injury history, unlike Stewart and Knight Jr who's evaluation is based on production.

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