DJ Turner II is fully on board with the Bengals' defensive overhaul. Cincinnati has poured roughly $146 million into new signings this offseason. The cornerback's reaction highlights the team-first approach he believes is necessary for success.

In a recent segment on NFL Spotlight With Ari Meirov, DJ Turner II was asked whether the Bengals’ latest defensive additions would benefit him, and the fan-favorite CB responded with clear optimism.

“You can't just do it from one side, from a couple of players. You need everybody....so, I'm excited. I'll be piecing everything together, and I'm excited to get to it,” Turner stated.

Trey Hendrickson, who led the league with 17.5 sacks in 2024 and earned the Deacon Jones Award, signed with their division rivals, the Baltimore Ravens, in free agency, creating a huge gap for the franchise.

After that, the Bengals didn’t lose momentum. Instead, they began strengthening their defensive depth.

As Turner emphasized, success in this league requires a complete unit, strong across the board, from defense and special teams to the coaching staff.

“There's no defense in the offense playing good, and the team not winning. There's no good in the defense playing good, and the offense, and then the team not winning. You need everybody,” he said.

The Bengals strengthened their front by signing former Seattle Seahawks edge rusher Boye Mafe to a three-year, $60M deal. They followed that up by adding two-time Pro-Bowler defensive lineman Jonathan Allen on a two-year, $25M contract.

They didn’t stop there either. Continuing to build depth, the Bengals signed safety Bryan Cook, previously with the Kansas City Chiefs, to a three-year, $40.2M deal, and also brought in veteran safety Kyle Dugger on a one-year contract.

Despite all these additions, the departure of Hendrickson still leaves a gap at one linebacker spot for the Cincinnati Bengals. The upcoming draft poses some interesting additions to reinforce that department.

NFL Draft: Linebacker Targets for the Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals are expected to reinforce their defense by targeting a linebacker with their first-round (10th overall) and second-round (41st overall) picks in the NFL Draft.

Recently, NFL analyst Tom Pelissero shared on X that former Texas Tech Red Raiders LB Jacob Rodriguez visited the Bengals' facility. He later reported that the team also met with Ohio State Buckeyes LB Sonny Styles.

Sonny Styles is projected as a potential top-10 pick, giving the Cincinnati Bengals a strong opportunity to select him if he is around by their turn.

According to NFL analyst Arye Pulli, the franchise is planning to host Missouri LB Josiah Trotter for a recent pre-draft visit as well. 

For now, it remains to be seen what the future holds for the Cincinnati Bengals defense heading into the 2026 NFL season. What do you think of their 2026 roster?

Read more at the Cincinnati Bengals Community!

Written by

Monika Khatai

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote