The Cincinnati Bengals are ranked in the middle of the pack in ESPN’s NFL roster rankings, released Monday.
Topping the rankings are the Los Angeles Rams, bolstered by reigning MVP Matthew Stafford and the addition of Myles Garrett on defense. Cincinnati’s division rivals, the Baltimore Ravens, are fifth under new head coach Jesse Minter.
The Bengals roster, meanwhile, is ranked 15th. Each team had a “biggest strength,” “biggest weakness,” an “X factor for 2026,” as well as a “nonstarter to know.”
ESPN said Cincinnati’s wide receiver room was its biggest strength, led by Pro Bowl duo Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. The publication listed off-ball linebackers as the team’s biggest weakness, citing the bottom-six PFF grade rankings of linebackers Barrrett Carter, Demetrius Knight Jr. and Oren Burks − ranked 83rd, 85th and 88th respectively out of 88 linebackers.
The left side of the offensive line, consisting of Orlando Brown Jr. and Dylan Fairchild, is considered the X-factor for the team, given the importance of protecting quarterback Joe Burrow. Given Fairchild’s second-year status and Brown’s Pro Bowl resume, ESPN believes both linemen have potential to be better in 2026.
Bengals third-year tight end Erick All Jr., who has struggled with injuries since he was in college, was ESPN’s nonstarter to know because of his potential be fully healthy in 2026. He missed all of 2025 but caught 20 passes on 22 targets for 158 yards as a rookie in 2024.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were ranked a few spots below the Bengals at No. 19, while the Cleveland Browns were ranked No. 31.
Cincinnati is looking to improve from its 6-11 record from 2025, when Burrow was injured for a significant portion of the season for the third time in his career.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Where are the Bengals ranked in ESPN’s NFL roster rankings?
