Top 50 Cincinnati Bengals
If you want to name a team that exemplifies hard luck in the National Football League, it would have to be the Cincinnati Bengals.
Formed in 1968 as the last member of the American Football League, the Bengals joined the NFL with the official merger two years later. Cincinnati always seems to be a team that struggles, but they have appeared in three Super Bowls, losing the first two to the San Francisco 49ers and in 2020 to the Los Angeles Rams. While they have never been a champion, three Super Bowl appearances are the envy of a few teams in the NFL.
This list is up to the end of the 2024 regular season.
Note: Football lists are based on an amalgamation of tenure, traditional statistics, advanced statistics, playoff statistics, and post-season accolades.
This one should be interesting. Signed as an undrafted free agent out of Arizona State in 2012, Vontaze Burfict arrived in Cincinnati with a reputation as a volatile, first-round talent whose draft stock plummeted following a disastrous Combine and off-field concerns. In Southern Ohio, Burfict evolved into one of the most brilliant—and deeply controversial—defensive linebackers of his generation, serving as…
The Bengals from Syracuse selected Dave Lapham in the third round (48th overall), recognizing his versatility and strength as an offensive lineman. During his decade-long career in Queen City, Lapham established himself as a key player in the trenches and later became the iconic media voice of the franchise for fans across generations. Standing tall at 6 feet 4 inches…
With the fourth-round pick (100th overall), the Bengals selected Rudi Johnson of Auburn. Johnson arrived in Cincinnati as an intense, physical runner. Armed with explosive lower-body power, vision through the tackles, and a punishing finish at the second level, Johnson became the primary backfield anchor during the franchise’s mid-2000s resurgence under Marvin Lewis. Johnson spent his first two NFL seasons…
Joe Walter was a seventh-round pick in 1985 and became a cornerstone of the franchise's offensive line. Over a 13-year career spent entirely in Cincinnati, Walter established himself as a reliable, tough-as-nails anchor at right tackle. At 6 feet 6 inches and 295 pounds, Walter had exceptional length, strong lateral footwork, and a heavy anchor in pass protection. After adjusting…
Drafted in the seventh round (187th overall) of the 1977 NFL Draft out of North Carolina Central, Louis Breeden arrived in Cincinnati as an unheralded small-school prospect whose professional journey nearly stalled before it started. After a severe injury forced him to spend his entire rookie season on injured reserve, Breeden returned with a vengeance, evolving into one of the…
From Georgia, Mike Wilson was taken in the fourth round (103rd overall) of the 1977 NFL Draft. The imposing offensive lineman initially opted to head north, signing with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League for the 1977 season, where he immediately earned CFL All-Star honors. He joined the Bengals in 1978, stepping directly onto the field as an…
Consensus All-American Leon Hall was chosen 18th overall in the initial round of the 2007 NFL Draft from Michigan and joined Cincinnati as a highly regarded defensive back. He promptly fulfilled that draft promise by securing a starting boundary position and acting as the primary cover man for Marvin Lewis's defense over the subsequent decade. Hall relied on smooth hip…
Drafted 55th overall in the 2016 NFL Draft from Pittsburgh, Tyler Boyd joined Cincinnati with a reputation as a polished and highly dependable route runner. Over eight seasons in Southern Ohio, Boyd developed into the team's go-to slot receiver, becoming one of the franchise's most reliable third-down converters. Boyd's initial years demanded patience, as he accumulated 76 receptions over his…
Drafted in the third round (72nd overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft out of North Carolina State, Germaine Pratt arrived in Cincinnati as a former college safety transitioning to full-time off-ball linebacker. Armed with range, explosive downhill trigger speed, and natural coverage instincts, Pratt steadily developed into the physical heartbeat of Lou Anarumo's defense. Pratt secured a starting position midway…
The Bengals had high expectations when they drafted Missouri’s Justin Smith fourth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. Blessed with high motor intensity, brute functional strength, and relentless stamina on the edge, the defensive end proved to be an instant, durable anchor for the Bengals' front four. Smith made an immediate splash as a rookie in 2001, setting a franchise…
Wasn’t the last name of T.J. Houshmandzadeh a thing of beauty on the back of an NFL jersey? Drafted in the seventh round (204th overall) of the 2001 NFL Draft out of Oregon State, T.J. Houshmandzadeh was an unheralded longshot whose bold personality was matched only by his elite hands and ferocious work ethic over the middle. Along with the…
Acquired via trade following his 1969 rookie season, Ohio State standout Rufus Mayes arrived in Cincinnati after being taken 14th overall by the Chicago Bears in the first round. The Bengals sent defensive linemen Bill Staley and Harry Gunner to Chicago in exchange for Mayes—a swap that tilted heavily in Cincinnati's favor as Mayes went on to spend nearly a…
