Pre-Season Depth Chart: Defense

Defense

Left End
Antwan Odom: Most noteworthy free agent signing under the Marvin regime. He’s fast, has long arms, and best of all..he isn’t Justin Smith.
Frostee Rucker: Finally saw some regular action late last year. Has one more season to show some value or else he wastes a roster spot. Potentially another worthless draft pick.

Right End
Robert Geathers: Almost getting sacks won’t cut it this year. Doesn’t handle the double team well (not many do in this league), and will rely on teammates to relieve some of that pressure. Amazing athlete.
Jonathan Fanene: Large for an end. Solid backup. Signed to a multi-year deal in the off-season.

Defensive Tackle:
Domata Peko: Improves every year. Bigger than people think. Important component to a thin position.
John Thornton: Aged. Still serviceable, but reaching the end. Best locker room presence on the team.
Pat Sims: Good prospect. Should beat out Thornton in training camp.

ROLB:
Ahmad Brooks: Freak athlete with a problematic groin, an unfortunate combination. Might be better in the middle slot; he’s more of a seek-and-destroyer than a blitzer. The Obe Wan of the defense: our only hope.
Rashad Jeanty: Younger than his old man face indicates (26). Solid against the run. Kinda slow. Defense played much better when he returned from injury.
Eric Henderson: Could switch to DE. Had a nice preseason before injury. Bull-rusher. Unknown against the run.

MLB:
Dhani Jones: Over achieved in ‘07. Sure tackler with mid-thirties speed. Seems better suited to play weak-side linebacker.
Corey Mays: Played decent in the last four games. Contributes on special teams. Someone is conspicuously missing in this slot, can you guess who?

LOLB:
Keith Rivers: Needs to validate his eighth overall pick. Played on a stellar college defensive unit. Should rack up high tackling totals. Think of a more exciting Landon Johnson.
Daryl Blackstock: Special teams ace. A tall third down pass-rusher with long arms = deflected pass attempts.

Cornerback:
Jonathan Joseph: Solid when healthy. Still improving. Should have a monster year.
Leon Hall: Showed significant improvement throughout last season. Good cover skills, good tackler, not blazing speed.
Deltha O’Neal: Great ball skills, with quickly eroding speed. Can take more risks on interceptions as a third corner. Needs to just shut up and play.
Simeon Castille: Undrafted free agent that some projected as high as a fourth-round pick. Good name.

Free Safety:
Marvin White: progressed nicely last season. Can really hit. Lots of energy and enthusiasm. An alleged workoutaholic. Potentially unstable.
Ethan Kilmer: should be fully recovered from injury. A more modern Kasevaharn type.

Strong Safety:
Chinedum Ndukwe: Lots of potential. Ball hawk and strong tackler. Intelligent player who should thrive in Zimmer’s program. Reminds me a little of Roy Williams (roll your eyes all you want). Expect big things.
Dexter Jackson: Garbage. Only skill is timing the snap count. Waste of space. Should have been on the train outta here with J Smith, Landon Johnson and Madieu.


Thanks to an infusion of both young talent and quality coaching, this defense will rapidly improve. Our secondary is filled with quality prospects and will soon be the strongest link in the defense; something Bengals fans haven’t seen since the ‘80s. More turnovers and three-and-outs should result from an improved pass-rush with the additions of Odom and Blackstock. If Brooks can stay healthy and Dhani Jones plays as well as last season, the linebacking corps should be steady but unexciting.

Ndukwe is key to the future success of this team. Think back to all the strong safeties under Marvin Lewis: Rogers Beckett, Kim Herring, Ifeanyi Ohalete, Dexter Jackson. What do they have in common? All were free agent veterans and all were distinctly lousy. Chinedum is the only SS drafted in the past six years and was a seventh-rounder at that. Perhaps this position is overlooked as a key to build a defense around. He’s the right size for a SS at 6'2'’, 220 lbs. and he puts his weight into ball carriers.

Rivers may surprise me, but I don’t see him as a big playmaker. I see him playing for ten years and racking up big tackling totals once he hangs it up, but he may never be a player who changes games.

Sims could develop into a solid starter relatively soon, perhaps as early as preseason. He and Peko have potential to become the runpluggers this team has sought for many years.

The Takeo Spikes and Jeremiah Trotters of the world have no place here in Cincinnati. If a decent DT emerges from the training camp cut list, we may see a signing there, but otherwise, I think the coaching staff is ready to roll with what they have.

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