Swiping a defensive player from the Ravens, the best team in the AFC during the 2023 regular season, would undoubtedly improve Cincinnati’s defense while eliminating a crucial component of Baltimore’s defense.
He’s young (he won’t turn 22 until the week of the opening) and has only 16 collegiate starts. But he played in 39 games, was named Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year, and made Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List. According to nflfdraftbuzz.com, Feldman wrote, “has been clocked at 18 MPH on the GPS, had a team-best 455-pound front squat, and power-cleaned 375 pounds,” with his strength coach believing he could have done more.
Much of what the Cincinnati Bengals may accomplish in the upcoming 2024 NFL draft is dependent on the clubs ahead of them in the official draft order.
If the Ravens are unable to reach an agreement in the early stages of free agency, Madubuike may be assigned the franchise tag, but Baltimore’s history of allowing players to test the open market may lead to contenders across the league throwing money at the former Texas A&M star.
In four consecutive drafts from 2017 to 2021, the Bengals did not choose a cornerback until the sixth round. To bolster their dwindling roster, they signed Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton in the spring of 2021, kicking off a renewed emphasis on the position that includes using a second-round pick on Cam Taylor-Britt in 2022 and another on DJ Turner II in 2023.
Given the defensive line’s significant lack of depth and production, Hill is unlikely to be replaced. What this may indicate, however, is that he could be a restructuring candidate (or potentially an extension that flattens the cap hit?) if the Bengals find themselves short on cash.
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