AFC North team pass rush ranked from worst to best in 2023
By Randy Gurzi
3. Cincinnati Bengals
Top Players: Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubbard, Myles Murphy, Joseph Ossai
Signing Trey Hendrickson in 2022 ended up being a good move for the Cincinnati Bengals. He didn't have the same production he did in the previous two years with the New Orleans Saints (27.5 sacks combined in 2020 and 2021) but he led them with eight sacks.
Not only was he a suitable replacement for Carl Lawson (who signed with the Jets and recorded seven sacks) but they also saw Sam Hubbard put up another decent campaign with 6.5 sacks. Rookie third-round pick Joseph Ossai added another 3.5 sacks but likely falls further down the depth chart with the addition of Myles Murphy.
Cincinnati's first-round pick was a well-rounded defensive end for Clemson and could end up being the top pass rusher for the Bengals before long.
Having said that, they have a lot of solid defensive ends that can do a little bit of everything. What they don't have is someone with that explosion off the edge. There's no one like Myles Garrett who can dominate with athletic traits. Yes, they have enough talent to get the job done but with some of the star power in the North, they come in third.