Ranking Bengals' 3 biggest positions of need after first week of free agency

The Cincinnati Bengals have been relatively quiet in free agency so far. They've made a few additions, but they still have several areas that could use some veteran reinforcement. But, it's only been a handful of days, and there's still plenty of talent available on the market, so they still have time to make some moves.

Here, we take a look at Cincinnati's three biggest positions of need after the first week of free agency.

1. Edge Rusher

Heading into offseason, edge rusher was Cincinnati's biggest position of need, and that remains the case after the first wave of free agency. The Bengals could be without both of their starting defensive ends from last season since Sam Hubbard retired and Trey Hendrickson was granted permission to seek a trade.

As a team, Cincinnati had 36 sacks in 2024. The number was the seventh-fewest league-wide, and Hendrickson accounted for nearly half of them -- he led the league with 17.5 sacks. Hubbard added another two. That's nearly 20 sacks that the Bengals could be losing from last season's production, and as of the time that this was typed, they've done little to address the issue. Even if Hendrickson stays in Cincinnati, the team still needs to upgrade the position around him.

In fairness, the Bengals did bring back defensive end Joseph Ossai on a one-year deal, which was a solid move. Ossai was second on the team with five sacks last season, and he figures to play a more prominent role for the team in 2025 following Hubbard's departure and the potential departure of Hendrickson.

But, the Bengals can't stop there. They need to add at least one more reliable pass-rusher to the mix in free agency,

2. Guard

The Bengals had a tough time generating sacks on defense in 2024, and they also had a tough time preventing them on offense. As a team, the Bengals allowed 48 sacks last season, which was tied for the seventh-most league-wide. So, bolstering the offensive line should be a priority for Cincinnati.

So far though, the Bengals have done little to improve the O-line aside from bringing back Cody Ford on a two-year deal. That's simply not going to get the job done. The team is reportedly interested in guard Teven Jenkins, but he also has other suitors.

Sure, they can add to the line in the draft, but it seems like they would want some guys with experience in front of arguably the most important player in franchise history in Burrow. Identifying and adding one, or two, should be a focus for Cincinnati.

3. Safety

A case could be made that the Bengals need to upgrade both spots in the secondary, but they're a little deeper at cornerback than they are at safety, so safety gets the nod here in terms of priority.

Vonn Bell is an unrestricted who the team doesn't plan to bring back -- and understandably so, but his departure leaves them relatively thin at the position. Cincinnati's defense got better when Bell was replaced by Jordan Battle in the starting lineup last season, and Battle will enter the 2025 season as a projected starter, alongside Geno Stone.

Stone had an underwhelming first season in Cincinnati, but he did play a bit better down the stretch of the season compared to early on, so perhaps he'll be able to build on that momentum in 2025. Meanwhile, the Bengals should supplement that group with at least one veteran addition in free agency.