The Cincinnati Bengals have an interesting defensive line room, to say the least. They have some guys with defined roles, like Kris Jenkins, BJ Hill, TJ Slaton, and McKinnley Jackson, but not many who can play on any down.
For the Bengals to fix this, they should look towards the NFL Draft with someone who has three-down potential. That player is CJ West.
Why The Cincinnati Bengals Should Draft CJ West
Consistency, consistency, consistency, that is the name of CJ West’s game. He has posted an 80 overall PFF grade or higher in each of the last three seasons. West has split time between the A and the B gap but has done extremely well in the A gap for a guy who stands at 6’2, 315 pounds. His dominant trait is his run defense, in 2024 he posted an 88.1 run defense grade and a 11.4% run stop rate. When you’re playing inside like West is your, run defense better be able to hold up, and his sure does. His run defense is great but when you combine it with the pass-rushing potential (10.2 % pass-rush win rate), he becomes a great selection in the mid-rounds.
CJ West is a DT prospect who POPS on film.
Posted an 88.1 run defense grade in 2024 to go with his 25 pressures. Capable of playing 1 or 3 tech.
At 6’1, 314lbs, he reminds me a bit of Poona Ford. pic.twitter.com/Ao5nMy0gWL
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 19, 2025
Why the Cincinnati Bengals Should Avoid CJ West?
The Bengals need pass-rushing production asap, and while West is a great player his pass rush may need some development. If he does not come in and eat away at puss rushing snaps then it could be hard for him to have a role early on.
CJ West’s Fit on the Cincinnati Bengals
While West may need some development rushing the passer, I still really like the fit in Cincinnati. He has true three-down potential and has shown that throughout his time in college. The Bengals need a reliable force in the middle of their line and West has been nothing but consistent throughout his playing days. West could walk into a larger role early on since his run defense is so advanced, if that happens then you would assume he would get more and more opportunities to rush the passer as well. All in all, West is a high-floor player that can fit well with a number of teams.
