Cincy Jungle
Geno Stone had a rough start to his 2024 campaign with the Bengals, but picked things up towards the end of the year. Can he ride that late-season momentum to a more consistent 2025?
We have a bit of an annual tradition that kicks off around this time of year. Once the first waves of free agency and the NFL Draft are in the rearview mirror, we turn our attention to identifying which Bengals players might be poised to take that all-important next step in their careers.
Here at Cincy Jungle and on our associated podcasts, we launch a recurring series each offseason titled “Potential Bengals Breakout Players.” It’s our way of forecasting which players could step into larger roles, show significant growth from the previous season, or otherwise emerge as key contributors in the upcoming year.
This isn’t just guesswork—it’s based on anticipated increases in playing time, glimpses of potential, and overall development we’ve seen behind the scenes.
Building on that tradition, we’re introducing a companion series called “Make-or-Break Year.” This series focuses on Bengals players entering crucial stages of their careers—those who must prove themselves now or risk being left out of the team’s long-term plans.
These are players at a turning point. Whether their situation stems from inconsistent play, off-field concerns, or simply the need to take a leap forward, the coming months could define the trajectory of their NFL careers.
The Bengals had a relatively predictable free agency period last year, signing players they had tracked for a while. One was recently released defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, a player Cincinnati liked dating back to his draft profile. Another was Geno Stone, a safety coming from within the division.
Stone put together a strong 2023 season, picking off seven passes in his first year with an expanded role. He earned an 85.3 coverage grade and a 90.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, which named him one of the top 20 safeties heading into the 2024 season.
However, after joining the Bengals last spring, Stone was among several defensive players who struggled early. His first interception didn’t come until Week 7—a play on which he was also injured—and things didn’t really start to click for him or the defense until Week 13.
Between Weeks 13 and 15, Stone collected three interceptions, coinciding with the defense finally finding its rhythm. Not surprisingly, the Bengals ended the season on a five-game winning streak and narrowly missed the playoffs.
Now the question becomes: What version of Geno Stone will we see in 2025 under a new defensive coordinator? Will the defensive upgrades in front of him allow him to play more freely and return to the ballhawking form he showed in Baltimore and late last year?
Stone was a seventh-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2020 out of Iowa. He was a second-team All-Big Ten selection as a...
