Bengals Beat: ‘We Believe We Can Outscore Anybody’ But Duke Tobin Knows He Still Needs To Build His Defense, Mock 3.0

CINCINNATI — Duke Tobin is well aware of the narrative that defense has taken a back seat to offense over the last two offseasons.

After all, when you commit half a billion dollars to your franchise quarterback and two star wide receivers, it’s hard to avoid that narrative.

But the Bengals director of player personnel doesn’t regret extending Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins at those prices simply because the talent is the talent. And as Joe Burrow says, you never want to let your best talent walk out of the building.

But now, after a free agency period that featured the addition of a projected starting nose tackle in TJ Slaton and a linebacker who started for the Philadelphia Eagles during their Super Bowl run and the re-signing of defensive tackle BJ Hill, there’s a lot of work to be done in providing the defense the same sort of reinforcements to give Joe Burrow more time to do damage during a game.

Tobin is not unaware that there’s a sense that all the Bengals care about is scoring. This draft is a chance to take a step in starting to prove people wrong.

“I feel as strongly about the defense as I feel about the offense as far as necessity,” Tobin told me. “And it has to work together. You’re always going to be a little heavier on one side of the ball or the other depending on how you’re paying your team. There can be an imbalance based on that, but you still have to have a complementary team. We believe we can outscore anybody. That’s just our mindset. That’s who we are. That’s what we’ve always been about. But you always have to take care of the other side of the ball. Defense has been important to me even though I’m an offensive guy at heart. I did appreciate good defense when I faced one, so it always registers to me. Defense is important and a lot of people believe defense wins championships and maybe that’s true and if we get a little better over there, maybe we will.”

But does Tobin really believe that?

“I believe that our football can do win a championship, absolutely, and I believe that’s a belief others believe as well because I talk to enough others around the league,” Tobin replied. “I’m proud of our football team and I want the rest of the city and the rest of league to be proud of it because it’s a unique group of guys. It really is. And we will add pieces that will elevate it and defensively we have to elevate ourselves.”

That’s an interesting response because Tobin and the front office believe that the core of this team can win a Super Bowl on their own terms.

He knows there are doubts about the depth of the pass rush, the ability to stop the run in the AFC North, the ability of the secondary to create more turnovers and the talent of the linebackers and defense, in general, to pursue the ball better and tackle in space.

All of those areas need to be addressed in this draft, and Tobin only has six picks to do it. Yes, there will be opportunities in the post-draft phase of free agency and a class of undrafted rookie free agents as well.

But in terms of premium talent, the Bengals need to hit Thursday through Saturday on players who can come in right away and contribute.

“I still get excited. I’ve been doing it for awhile, so it’s just another event on the calendar for me,” Tobin said. “It’s an exciting time for our team. I think it’s a culmination of such effort, work, strain by our scouting staff throughout the course of a year. It’s exciting to see them come full circle with their opinions and ideas and thoughts. The passion they bring to it is really unique because they put so much into this and they give so much to it, so it’s always exciting when you get to have a reward at the end of the day. I know what they go though. I know the travel, I know the demands. It is real. When push comes to shove, I’m probably going to listen to them a little more than anybody else.”

Then there’s new defensive coordinator Al Golden and how he fits into the process. The Bengals want to give Golden players that are best suited for how he wants to attack defenses. The buzzword at this time of year is versatility. How much can a new player do and how well can he do it at the NFL level? And how might that impact how the Bengals approach their selections?

“I think the most important thing for Duke and the scouts has just been to hear Al’s vision for each player if they were to come in the building,” head coach Zac Taylor said. “And oftentimes, there are great players in the draft that might be a better fit, and we say the same thing on offense, somewhere else, and that’s not that’s not reducing their talent or what it is. And there’s always you want to fit your schemes around really talented players, let them do what they do best. And so I think just sharing the vision on guys that really fit us and guys that may be better fit somewhere else is always good for Duke to help make decisions on this guy or that guy, tilt it that way. And I think Al’s been very clear on how we’re going to utilize every single player we bring in the building. And so I think that makes it much clearer for those, those scouts up there to picture how we’ll utilize these players.”

Drafting in the NFL is about identifying the best talent and then getting the most out of a particular player’s skill set.

“That’s the million-dollar question, where how much are we going to cater what we want to do to this really talented player? And we’re willing to do that with any guy that we bring in here,” Taylor continued. “We want to do what he does best, and not necessarily just cram it into how we want things done. If we’ve decided to take a player is because he’s got a unique set of skills that we plan to utilize and and so I think that’s the best way that I can phrase it for you.”

Edge (Mykel Williams, Georgia):

Could another Georgia Bulldog be a first-round pick in back-to-back years? Williams would bring a lot to the table for the Bengals in terms of pass rush potential. But while he certainly possesses the pass rush physique, scouts and evaluators like Dane Brugler of The Athletic write that he needs to develop a series of secondary moves and a rush plan, and not rely totally on a 6-foot-5, 265-pound frame. He is long and strong, two qualities that have NFL scouts and coaches salivating on the potential he could bring to the edge. But as the Bengals have seen with Myles Murphy, a great physique is one thing, developing that into a productive edge rusher is another. And the Bengals need production.

Edge (Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M) :

The Bengals did lose Hubbard to retirement, as his production had already been slipping because of nagging injuries the last two seasons. The Bengals need production from at least two to three additional edge rushers, whether that’s Murphy, Ossai, Sample or Johnson, or a draft pick or two to make an immediate impact. There is so much to choose from in the first round the natural inclination is to think the Bengals will get swept up in the rush on defensive ends and grab one at 17.

If the Bengals don’t trade Hendrickson and – best case scenario – bring him back on an extension, the Bengals would seem to be in a good spot in terms of bodies and depth. The issue is whether those numbers will result in increased production. If they do trade Hendrickson, at the very least you would think they’re adding a pick in the first two days this year and another in 2026 and a projected starter who could come in and immediately contribute on the edge.

Defensive tackle (Derrick Harmon, Oregon):

Assuming Mason Graham of Michigan is gone, Derrick Harmon of Oregon could be enticing here. If Graham slips, this becomes a very, very interesting call, even with the signing of TJ Slaton and the return of BJ Hill, Kris Jenkins and McKinnley Jackson. Brings a lot in terms of disrupting an offensive line and their pass blocking schemes.

Safety (Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina):

Reports indicate that safety Nick Emmanwori of South Carolina has already visited with the Bengals. If he’s on the board and available, do the Bengals take him at 17 to bolster a safety group that is still trying to find its way with Geno Stone, Jordan Battle, Daijahn Anthony and Tycen Anderson?

The Bengals haven’t added a safety or edge rusher in free agency while adding a pair of linebackers that figure to be special teams contributors or role players.

Linebacker (Jihaad Campbell, Alabama):

Let’s not overlook the need to upgrade the linebacker room. Logan Wilson is returning. Germaine Pratt has demanded a trade. Both struggled at times last year. They have brought in a pair of linebackers who appear to be simply depth pieces in Oren Burks and Joe Giles-Harris. Adding a piece like Jihaad Campbell from Alabama would immediately upgrade the unit. Maema Njongmeta is a special teams player who got some run at linebacker late in the season and made some good contributions but doesn’t figure to step up to a bigger role, at least not to start the season.

Offensive guard (Tyler Booker, Alabama):

Could Booker offer the same immediate impact that Amarius Mims did at right tackle? If he’s there, one has to wonder how high Bengals scouts have him graded and whether they think he could come in and fill the shoes of Alex Cappa at right guard. Kelvin Banks of Texas could be available also.

While free agency doesn’t guarantee fixing every shortfall, relying on players to make significant jumps or draft picks to make immediate impacts is an even bigger gamble.

Free agency is just a piece of the offseason roster-building exercise that every team goes through. And signing your own free agents shouldn’t be discounted as critical parts of the equation, just take a look at the Bengals and their approach to extending star receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, tight end Mike Gesicki and defensive tackle BJ Hill.

Of course, the answer to this is that the Bengals have addressed the most critical parts of their offense, giving Joe Burrow the weapons he needs (and wants) in bringing back Tee Higgins and extending Ja’Marr Chase. They’ve re-signed tight end Mike Gesicki and they’ve signed a back-up offensive guard in Lucas Patrick from New Orleans.

MOCK 3.0:

1 (17 overall) – Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon
2 (49 overall) – Jack Sawyer, EDGE, Ohio State
3 (81 overall) – Miles Frazier OG, LSU
4 (119 overall) – Kevin Winston Jr., S, Penn State
5 (153 overall) – Kobe King, LB, Penn State
6 (193 overall) – Corey Kiner, RB, Cincinnati