Following a 6-11 season, the Cincinnati Bengals announced that they would not be making any significant changes to their front office or staff. Although no firings were expected or reported prior to the season ending, some fans were still upset by the statement released by team president Mike Brown.
Despite missing out on the postseason for the third consecutive season, the Bengals were the only team in the AFC North to retain their head coach for the 2026 season. Baltimore fired Super Bowl-winning head coach John Harbaugh after 18 seasons, the Browns fired two-time Coach of The Year Kevin Stefanski, and Mike Tomlin stepped down from his head coaching job in Pittsburgh. Aside from Zac Taylor in Cincinnati, the AFC North will look very different in the 2026 season.
Mock Draft Predicts Bengals Defensive Addition
Although changes were not made in the coaching staff or front office, the Bengals roster will undergo some changes. For starters, the team will pick in the top-10 of the upcoming NFL Draft for the first time since the 2021 draft. On that occasion, the Bengals selected wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. This time, writer Justin Melo of The Draft Network has predicted Cincinnati drafting interior defensive lineman Peter Woods out of Clemson. Melo wrote, “The Cincinnati Bengals are a full-blown disaster on defense. Trey Hendrickson is probably departing in free agency. The defensive line needs a lot more talent opposite the raw Shemar Stewart. Clemson’s Peter Woods has the skill set needed to potentially develop into a dominant pass-rushing 3-tech.”
The Draft Network’s scouting profile on Woods describes him as a “special defensive lineman whose character, athletic ability, and technical polish make him NFL-ready.” They graded him as a Round 1, Pro Bowl caliber player. They listed his elite athleticism and strength as his primary strength, saying he “Possesses rare twitch, power, and explosiveness. Seamlessly balances savviness and raw strength to play effectively along the defensive line in both run and pass phases. Demonstrates unnatural movement skills for a player of his size and position.”
The Bengals selecting Woods would represent Cincinnati taking a defensive lineman in the first round for the third time in four years. Despite leaning on defense in the draft, the Bengals finished 30th in points allowed per game in the 2025 season. 2025 first-round pick Shemar finished with only one sack in eight games.
Trey Hendrickson Bengals Uncertainty
A big piece of the puzzle for the Bengals defense is the future of All Pro pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson. He’s set to be a free agent after the season. ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler cast doubt on Hendrickson’s return to Cincinnati, as he said , “This relationship has run its course. The Bengals have the option to franchise tag Hendrickson, but after a year of contentious contract negotiations, the edge rusher appears poised to land elsewhere and capitalize on a booming positional market.”
ESPN writer Aaron Schatz predicted the Carolina Panthers would sign Hendrickson in free agency. In his prediction, he wrote “The Panthers will pay big money to Trey Hendrickson. The Panthers ranked 24th in pass rush win rate this season, and while they took two edge rushers high in the 2025 draft (Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen), they could use a steady veteran to lead the attack.”
