When the Bengals signed DJ Reader away from the Houston Texans in 2020, it demonstrated a rare willingness to aggressively pursue defensive talent via the free agent market. Reader is now in Detroit, but the Bengals hope that they've struck gold with another former Texan in Rankins, who had 37 tackles and six sacks last season. The Bengals hope that Rankins, B.J. Hill and rookie Kris Jenkins can improve an interior defensive that was frequently exploited in 2023.

• Tanner Ingle
  DB
• Teddye Buchanan
  LB
• Jordan Richards
  DB
• Keith Randolph
  DL
• Solomon Thomas
  DL
• Carrington Valentine
  DB
• Grayson Murphy
  DL
• Junior Colson
  LB