Bengals' offseason plan makes 2025 NFL Draft even more important

The Bengals are expected to apply the franchise tag to Higgins for the second consecutive season, while Chase and Hendrickson are entering the final year of their respective deals.

Chase clinched the NFL receiving triple crown in 2024, finishing the year first in receptions (127), receiving yards (1,704) and receiving touchdowns (17).

Hendrickson led the NFL in sacks (17.5), while Higgins had 911 receiving yards and a career-high 10 receiving touchdowns in 12 games.

The Bengals shouldn't have difficulty paying the three stars. Per Over The Cap, Cincinnati has an estimated $46.3 million in cap space. Chase ($21.8 million) and Hendrickson ($18.7 million) have two of the team's three highest cap numbers for 2025, but those figures will lower with extensions.

Keeping the trio in Cincinnati might be easier than it seems. The more complicated part could be adding to a roster that has failed to make the playoffs for two consecutive seasons.

The Bengals had one of the league's worst defenses a season ago. They were No. 25 in both total (348.3 yards per game) and scoring defense (25.5 points per game).

The Bengals won't be in a position to pursue free agents aggressively, likely only being able to offer short one- or two-year deals while accounting for their stars' rising cap costs in 2026 and beyond.

That's where the draft comes into play. Cincinnati's best way to improve the defense could be by finding prospects on affordable rookie deals.

The Bengals are right to prioritize keeping their best players in-house, but that might come at the expense of heavy investments in improving the defense.

If Cincinnati rebounds from consecutive 9-8 seasons, it will be as much due to a successful 2025 NFL Draft as from keeping the band together.