The Cincinnati Bengals were the major disappointment of 2024, finishing 9-8 and missing the playoffs. Joe Burrow and the offense weren’t the issue as the quarterback put up an MVP-type season throwing for nearly 5,000 yards. The biggest issue for the Bengals was the defense, which allowed 30 or more points six times.
The defensive bright spot for Cincinnati was defensive end Trey Hendrickson. The eight-year vet wants a new contract entering the final year of his current deal, and PFSN predicts the Bengals will proactively find his replacement in its latest seven-round mock draft.
Cincinnati Predicted To Draft ‘Generational Athlete’
The Bengals couldn’t stop a nosebleed for most of the season finishing 25th in points and yards allowed in 2024. They finished 3-8 in one-score games, and 2-7 against playoff teams. However, Hendrickson had the best season of his career making the first-team All-Pro list and finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
He finished 2024 with 17.5 sacks, 46 total tackles, 19 tackles for loss, and 36 QB hits. Hendrickson arrived in Cincinnati in 2021 after four years in New Orleans, signing a four-year, $60 million free-agent contract. He signed a one-year, $21 million extension in 2023 keeping him under contract through 2025.
He deservedly wants a new contract but he could be the odd man out as the Bengals recently placed the franchise tag on Tee Higgins and are looking at a $40 million-a-year contract for Ja’Marr Chase.
If the Bengals can’t extend Hendrickson they’ll need to look elsewhere to rebuild their defense, and PFSN has them getting ahead of the game by selecting Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart with the 17th-overall pick.
Jacob Infante writes, “Shemar Stewart is essentially a supersized defensive end, possessing prototypical length and a powerful frame that carries nearly 290 pounds very well. That frame, combined with his elite size-adjusted athleticism and tenacious playing style, should see him selected in Round 1 come April.”
Stewart measured 6’5″, and 267 pounds at the NFL Combine and put on a show during his on-field workout. He was labelled a “Generational Athlete” after running a 4.59-second 40-yard dash, recording a 40-inch vertical jump, and an absurd 10’11” broad jump — all numbers that would be elite for a linebacker, let alone a defensive lineman.
10’11” broad jump from Shemar Stewart…
99th percentile of Combine history.
Better than Combine legends like Myles Garrett and Montez Sweat 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ODidGzhzV6
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 27, 2025
He was getting a lot of late-first, early-second-round love heading into Indianapolis with his athletic ability outweighing his 4.5 career sack total. However, his performance has brought comparisons to Myles Garrett and Montez Sweat.
Normally I wait before posting again, but Stewart was just close enough that it mattered.
We officially have our first 10.00 watch of the season!
This ranked 1 out of 1802 DE from 1987 to 2025. https://t.co/r9HXsXwSH4 pic.twitter.com/U45LdHmkAn
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) February 28, 2025
Stewart is one of the most explosive players in the 2025 NFL Draft and pairing him with Hendrickson for at least a year would set the Bengals up well for life without the eight-year vet. Defensive end price tags have skyrocketed in recent years and securing a premier player on a cheap four or five-year rookie deal would make life easier on the Cincinnati front office.