It's the busiest week of the NFL offseason as the NFL scouting combine is underway in Indianapolis. Every team sends its scouting staff and key personnel members to meet the top draft prospects and watch them go through a series of on-field tests. Most player agents are there, too, at some point during the week.
The Bengals' entire brass will be at Lucas Oil Stadium for the week. Director of personnel Duke Tobin, head coach Zac Taylor both speak today as the draft evaluation process ramps up.
Here is a to-do list for the Bengals for the NFL combine as they turn the page to a critical offseason.
Find a trade partner for Trey Hendrickson
After failing to reach a long-term agreement with defensive end Trey Hendrickson, the Bengals once again face another offseason centered around a contract negotiation with a star player.
Hendrickson and Cincinnati’s front office have gone back and forth for three years of contentious negotiations. Things between the Bengals and the 2024 NFL sack leader reached a breaking point ahead of the regular season. Neither side was willing to budge, and a long-term deal was never reached.
Hendrickson and the Bengals agreed on a one-year pay raise to ensure he played the 2025 season. But then Hendrickson ended up suffering a core injury and played a total of just seven games.
The Bengals have three options when it comes to Hendrickson:
- Place the franchise tag on him with the intention of trading him and receiving a draft pick in return. All teams will be heavily represented in Indy, so it's a good time and place to find a trade partner.
- Tag him and force him to either sign the tag and play one more season for the Bengals at the pre-fixed salary his position commands.
- Don’t tag him, let him walk and hit the free-agent market with hopes of a compensatory pick in return.
The window to place the franchise tag on a player opens on Feb. 17 and ends March 3. What the franchise does with Hendrickson is easily their biggest decision to make this offseason.
Get the framework of new deals for cornerbacks DJ Turner and Dax Hill in place
Cornerback is the only position the Bengals don’t have to fix on defense. The team will likely add to the group as supplemental pieces, but they’ve got their two starting cornerbacks under contract for at least one more season.
DJ Turner enjoyed a breakout season and played well for the Bengals after losing his starting job at the beginning of the year. He will enter the upcoming season as Cincinnati’s best defensive player.
The Bengals’ second-round pick out of Michigan in 2023 allowed 29 catches on 62 targets (46.8 percent) for 419 yards with 13 pass breakups last season.
After several years of moving from safety to nickel cornerback, Dax Hill landed where he is best – playing outside cornerback and locking down opponents’ top wide receivers.
Hill allowed 57 receptions on 84 targets for 536 yards (67.9 percent) with six pass breakups in 2025.
The Bengals should meet with Turner's and Hill’s representations in Indianapolis and create the framework for contract extensions to occur before training camp begins in late July.
Improve the pre-draft evaluation process
After two years of subpar play on the defensive side of the ball, it’s clear the Bengals’ focus this offseason will be to improve the defense.
Given the salary cap constraints, the easiest way for Cincinnati to get better on defense is to start drafting better players on defense.
The team has spent a significant amount on draft capital on this side of the ball in the last three years, and the return hasn’t come close to matching the investment.
This must change this year, and it should start with some sort of change in the evaluation process. To expect different results, Tobin's and Taylor’s staffs must be willing to adapt in their player evaluation process, or they’ll continue to struggle on defense.
Whether it’s more eyes looking at different prospects forcing more debate within or a different approach to the interview process, the Bengals need to start drafting players who will come in and make an impact right away, not two or three years down the road.
If the goal is to win Super Bowl 61 in Los Angeles, the Bengals need to come away with at least three starters in this year’s draft on defense.
Dig in more on pending free agents
Every team sends members of their college and pro scouting departments to the NFL combine.
It’s no secret the Bengals will be looking to add on defense in free agency.
Tobin and Taylor’s staff should go to Indianapolis with a plan and use their time wisely. In-depth evaluations should occur on prospects of interest for the Bengals.
Meaning, if the Bengals are looking at a specific pending free agent, a member of Cincinnati’s coaching or personnel staff should turn over every stone to find out if the tape they’ve watched matches the person.
The Bengals can’t afford any more whiffs in free agency on defense. They must know when they agree to terms with a free agent, they are getting a player who can make Cincinnati instantly better and will be a locker room fit.
Free agency surprises happen all the time, but there’s no excuse for not having enough intel on a player from another team when essentially every NFL personnel member is in the same city for a week.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 2026 NFL Scouting Combine checklist for Cincinnati Bengals