Scouts, coaches and front office personnel will attend the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, starting Monday and with position group workouts Thursday (defensive linemen and linebackers) through March 1. A total of 319 draft prospects were invited to this year’s event, and team officials not only watch the workouts but also get time to meet with up to 45 players in formal interviews.
It’s also a good time for Bengals brass to meet with agents and other team brass to discuss trades.
Here are three things to know going into this week:
1. Franchise tag and trade discussions for Trey Hendrickson
The window to use the franchise tag opened Feb. 17 and ends March 3, and this could be a big week for that decision.
If the Bengals think they could get something back in a trade or somehow come to an agreement with Hendrickson regarding a continued stay on new terms, the $30.2 million price on that tag would be worth exploring. However, it’s also a risk if other teams aren’t willing to invest at that level for a 31-year-old edge rusher who missed half of the 2025 season due to a hip injury.
There have been several reports of interest in Hendrickson in pending free agency, including the Indianapolis Colts, where former Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo enters his second season on staff.
Hendrickson made clear he wasn’t happy with his contract situation the last few years, and it might be time for all parties to just move on. Regardless, the Bengals likely need a proven presence in their defensive end group, even if Myles Murphy showed enough improvement to shoulder more of the load and if Shemar Stewart pans out in Year 2.
2. Positions of need
This year, Cincinnati’s biggest positions of need include safety, defensive tackle, edge rusher and left tackle.
Free safety Geno Stone is a pending free agent, and the Bengals would be in need of an upgrade even if he somehow stayed. At strong safety, Jordan Battle will still have a role moving forward but lacked the consistency the defense needed. Either way, it’s a position that needs addressed through free agency and probably the draft as well.
The interior defensive line spots are of great importance. BJ Hill isn’t going anywhere with two years left on his deal, but there’s questions surrounding the rest of the room. Kris Jenkins seemed to make some strides in Year 2, but it wasn’t the production Cincinnati needed still, and T.J. Slaton was unimpressive in his first season. The Bengals could move on from Slaton and would take on just $2.5 million in dead cap money, versus taking a $9.2 million cap hit. Beyond those two, there’s Jordan Jefferson and McKinnley Jackson. Jackson, a fourth-round pick in 2024, hasn’t done much to prove himself in two seasons but asked for a trade at one point.
Edge rusher, as mentioned previously, is a need with Hendrickson’s likely departure. Joseph Ossai also is a pending free agent who could get paid more elsewhere after a productive 2025 campaign, and Stewart is still a question after being limited by injuries as a rookie. Cam Sample also is another potential departure in free agency.
The offense really only has depth concerns with a couple key spots that could be up for grabs, including at tight end, where Noah Fant is headed into free agency. Orlando Brown Jr. wasn’t great in 2025 and seems to be slowing down with age, which makes left tackle a spot the Bengals might want to be targeting for the long term.
3. Prospects to watch
Cincinnati has the No. 10 pick in the NFL Draft, and if free agency doesn’t produce a standout addition at safety, Ohio State’s Caleb Downs is one name that has shown up in multiple mock drafts going to the Bengals. Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is another one.
That position should be the No. 1 priority.
Increasing the interior pressure and run defense with defensive line prospects such as Peter Woods of Clemson and Christen Miller of Georgia could also be the approach. Edge rushers to look at could include Missouri’s Zion Young, Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr., Auburn’s Keldric Faulk and Texas Tech’s David Bailey.
The Bengals also could be looking at linebacker again, ideally in free agency, and some suggest cornerbacks like Mansoor Delane (LSU) and Jermod McCoy (Tennessee) should be targeted. Dax Hill and DJ Turner return but are both extension eligible.
Cincinnati re-signed slot corner Jalen Davis ahead of free agency.
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