Are power rankings being fair to Bengals right now?

For now, most Cincinnati Bengals fans probably don’t expect to see the team ranked in the top 10 of power rankings. 

While the Bengals enjoyed a very strong offseason and look like obvious contenders, there’s that little matter of actually proving it on the field before national rankings start to adjust. 

Ahead of training camp, one set of new power rankings has the Bengals as a mere 15th overall. 

Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton handled the writeup for the Bengals

“Based on the Bengals' offensive talent alone, this club should be a playoff contender, but the defense must pull its weight,” Moton wrote. “Cincinnati's defensive units have ranked in the bottom half across the league in all but one season since 2018.”

The Bengals hope the addition of Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen stabilizes the locker room leadership and the heart of the defense, spurring nice developmental steps from the likes of Shemar Stewart on the edge and Demetrius Knight at linebacker. 

Until the defense shows up improved when it matters, though, power rankings aren’t going to slot them much higher. 

This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Are power rankings being fair to Bengals right now?