Cedric Johnson
Cincinnati BengalsModel Score
How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →
Season Stats · 9 games
Draft & College
He went about where consensus had him.
Covers the college seasons in our data, which does not always reach back to a player's first year.
Comps
STM Take
First STTM ranking at tier 8 (#75) in year one as a 2025 UDFA puts Johnson above the average UDFA EDGE outcome by virtue of cracking the top-80 rookie season. The Ole Miss SEC 36-start pedigree plus the Bengals position-specific coaching gives him basic developmental foundation. The 2026 question is whether Johnson holds the rotational role plus crosses into tier 7 territory or whether the role compresses back to practice-squad depth.
Johnson came out of Ole Miss as a 2025 undrafted free agent signed by the Cincinnati Bengals after starting 36 games for the Rebels at edge rusher. He emerged into a rotational pass-rush role as a rookie behind Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard. His first STTM appearance comes in 2025 at tier 8 (#75), the year-one band for UDFA EDGE prospects.
Strengths
- Ole Miss SEC 36-start pedigree plus first STTM finish in year one as a 2025 UDFA puts him above the average UDFA outcome.
- Cincinnati position-specific coaching plus Trey Hendrickson's elite opposite-side pressure creates the structural environment for development.
Concerns
- Rookie tier 8 (#75) finish without prior STTM history caps the long-term projection certainty.
- Cincinnati's broader defensive identity around the Hendrickson contract uncertainty puts continued snap-share dependent on context.
What to watch: Whether Johnson holds 10 or more starts in 2026 or whether the role compresses back to swing depth.