'Let's Get Jumpstarted' - Al Golden Highlights Instant Learning For Bengals Defensive Draft Picks

Cincinnati Bengals Second Round Pick Demetrius Knight Jr. on Draft Process and Doordash

CINCINNATI — Al Golden and the Bengals are wasting no time getting the new defensive draft additions up to speed on the system. Cincinnati's defensive coordinator noted the team already sent first-round pick Shemar Stewart home with an iPad to start learning the ropes.

Stewart, Demetrius Knight Jr., and Barrett Carter could all see significant action this coming fall.

"Talking ball, just inquisitive and just really looking forward to getting him back whenever the rookie mini-camp starts, but those guys are leaving with iPads," Golden noted about Stewart and others. "There's a premium right now in terms of alright, let's get jump-started, let's make sure that you know everybody has a really good springboard on the first day we go out there."

Cincinnati did not add any defensive tackle help in the draft so the whole front seven will be tasked with raising the pass-rush intensity collectively.

The Bengals ranked 25th among NFL teams in sacks last season and need more disruptive moments from a fresh-look group with Golden's fingerprints all over it.

“Yeah. Obviously, we’re big and we’re strong with B.J. (Hill) and T.J. (Slaton Jr.). And we’ve got Kris (Jenkins Jr.) and McKinnley (Jackson)," Golden said about the interior attack. "The other thing that we’ve done a lot in the past is just make sure we have size in Joseph (Ossai) and Cam (Sample), and guys like that who can rush inside. For us, the spring is generally about—if we’re playing four-down, there’s four spots on that defensive line, and just making sure that everybody rotates through there. So, you find the best combination. It’s not so stratified that, ‘The end has got to play here.’ Maybe your second-best end is a number-one third-down rusher.

"So, we’ll make sure that we rotate that around a lot to get a good look at everybody. But I won’t discount anybody, especially not Kris and McKinnley, who were banged up a little bit in the preseason and had a little bit of a slow start to their journey here in the NFL. I can’t wait to get them back out there and start working with them again.”

All hands on deck to take out passers in 2025.

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