The Cincinnati Bengals had some of the worst safety play in the NFL last season, in part because they had two coverage-centric starters in Geno Stone and Jordan Battle who weren't suited for box roles.
While ex-Kansas City Chiefs veteran Bryan Cook has played the majority of his snaps at deep safety, he's fully capable of flexing into the box or the slot and laying the wood in run support. Stone in particular was a terrible tackler in 2025, which is why the Bengals coveted Cook in the first place.
Safety is an easy position to overlook, though. Case in point: Caleb Downs was widely viewed as a top-three pure prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft, yet he fell to the 11th overall pick to the Dallas Cowboys.
So it's refreshing to see Cook get his flowers in a recent piece that underscored just how big of a deal his arrival to his native Cincinnati is.
Bengals safety Bryan Cook tops Bleacher Report's rankings of underrated free agents
B/R's Alex Kay broke down his five most underrated free-agent signings who will "surprise with new teams." The write-up on Cook capped off the entire article with a glowing outlook on what he'll bring to his hometown team:
"The Bengals are getting a high IQ safety with strong instincts, solid tackling skills and the ability to cover any position on the field. Versatility is his best trait, as he is just as capable in run-support as he is in coverage. Cook and Xavier McKinney were the only two safeties in the league last year who earned a Pro Football Focus grade of 80 or higher in both categories. While Cook alone may not elevate the Bengals to a sure-fire Super Bowl contender, his presence will go a long way to getting their defense to play at a respectable level. That's all Cincinnati needs to make a run if the star-studded offensive core can stay healthy."
That's a pretty clean snapshot of everything Cook brings to the Bengals locker room, not to mention his pedigree of playing for the Chiefs. It's such a neat narrative overall that Cook is coming back home. Born in Cincinnati, Cook played college football for the Cincinnati Bearcats before his NFL journey took him to Kansas City.
What a get it was for the Bengals to lure Cook away from one of their biggest nemeses in the Chiefs, who knocked them out of the playoffs in the AFC Championship Game when last Cincinnati was in the postseason.
Bummer that Cook couldn't convince dynamic linebacker Leo Chenal to join him in a package deal. Alas. Let's hope the linebacker corps gets a boost from somewhere before the season gets underway.
At the very least, Cook should be a steady presence on the back end for a Bengals secondary that looks pretty strong on paper.
Battle is exceptional as a deep coverage safety. DJ Turner and Dax Hill are among the best boundary cornerback tandems in the NFL. Jalen Davis played well at the nickel last season. There's stronger depth across the defensive backfield thanks to the signing of Kyle Dugger and third-round draft pick Tacario Davis.
But Cook is the undeniable leader of this bunch. He'll have plenty of drive to ball out for the franchise he grew up watching. His experience in a complex Chiefs scheme under the legendary Steve Spagnuolo has him prepared for anything Al Golden throws at him, too.
All the bodies the Bengals added to their defensive line, headlined by Dexter Lawrence, should only make Cook and the other DBs' jobs easier.
Oh, and by the way, Cook and the defense will be in great positions to succeed thanks to Joe Burrow and what should be an elite Bengals offense. Burrow has the best o-line of his career, and easily the best defense since those dual playoff runs after the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Does this team not sound absolutely lethal on paper entering 2026? Come on now!
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