Cincinnati Bengals: Linebackers expected to make leap in Year 2
· Yahoo Sports
The Cincinnati Bengals rebuilt their linebacker corps last year, pushing two rookies into the starting lineup and hoping they would develop in a hurry.
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That meant taking some lumps in the short term for potential long-term benefits, but many still expected the organization to address that position in free agency. Instead, the Bengals are counting on Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. to make big leaps in Year 2 with help of an improved defensive line in front of them.
Cincinnati traded Logan Wilson midseason to officially move on from the linebacker group that played a key role in 2021 Super Bowl season and 2022 AFC Championship run, and he’s since retired. Oren Burks, a free agent addition in 2025, returns as a veteran presence, but all eyes remain on Carter and Knight.
Let’s take a look at the past performances of the Bengals’ current linebackers, and how they are expected to stack up in 2026 with help of some analysis and data from Pro Football Focus.
This is the sixth in a series of pieces breaking down each position group for the Bengals. Next up: Safeties.
Linebackers on the rosterProjected starters: Demetrius Knight Jr., Barrett Carter
Reserves: Oren Burks, Shaka Heyward, Joe Giles-Harris
Others in the mix: Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr., Liam Anderson, Swayze Bozeman, Jack Dingle, Eric Gentry
Carter by the numbers2025 stats: 106 total tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 4 passes defended, 1 quarterback hit in 17 games, 12 starts.
PFF grades for 2025: Carter ranked 85th of 88 qualifying linebackers in defense grade (39.5). He was 78th in run defense grade (50.0) and posted a pass rush grade of 48.0, which ranked 84th, and coverage grade of 35.5, which ranked 80th.
PFF ranking for 2026: Not yet available.
Knight Jr. by the numbers2025 stats: 106 total tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 5 quarterback hits, 3.0 sacks in 17 games with 14 starts.
PFF grades for 2025: Knight ranked 83rd of 88 linebackers in defense grade (40.2). He was 87th in run defense grade (34.4) and posted a pass rush grade of 63.3 (ranked 47th) and coverage grade of 45.2 (ranked 68th).
PFF ranking for 2026: Not yet available.
Further analysis PFF.com ranked the Bengals’ linebacker unit the 15th best in the league going into last season, and that proved to be overly optimistic.
The expectation was that Wilson would bounce back from a knee injury that had curtailed his 2024 season and that his veteran leadership would help Knight in the transition.
Wilson ended up struggling, though, to the point he was benched and eventually traded.
The Bengals decided to just roll with the punches and see if Knight and Carter could develop quickly enough to make an impact in the second half of the season.
Cincinnati re-emphasized its faith in the young linebacker duo by not going out and addressing the position with a big signing in free agency.
Knight and Carter were two of the worst in the league, but the Bengals are truly counting on major upgrades to the defensive line making an impact on the other levels of the defense, especially linebacker.
Better veteran leaders on the defense also could help Knight and Carter.
Two of the three defensive captains (Wilson and Trey Hendrickson) last year were not even on the field by the second half of the season. More communication could help Knight and Carter clean up the 34 combined missed tackles that really hurt the defense last year.