The Cincinnati Bengals may have made some improvements to their roster in the initial free agency spending blitz, but not enough to warrant them going offense with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The best defensive player available, like Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, could be coming to Cincy.
Due to either prospect fatigue or some concerns about his medicals, some of the bloom has come off Downs' rose of late. However, in a recent mock draft from The Athletic where the Bengals end up with the Buckeyes star defensive back, a Big Ten assistant coach said that Downs has the tools to live up to the billing of the best safety prospect in years.
“Instincts-wise, he’s elite,” said this particular coach. “His zone awareness is as good as I’ve seen. But he doesn’t play man-to-man. I didn’t see him covering anybody and that alarmed me. They used him very well. You don’t see him making plays in the deep part of the field.”
Another Big Ten offensive coach said that Downs has an "extremely high floor" and thinks that in the NFL, Downs would "start immediately and you won’t have to worry about him." If he is there at No. 10, it seems like it will be almost impossible for the Bengals to turn down the local product.
Big Ten coach thinks Bengals NFL Draft talent Caleb Downs is "elite"
Downs seems like perhaps the safest player in this draft. His ceiling can be debated, but it seems like there is a minimal chance that he will wash out and become a bad player.
Not only can Downs flex his blend of exceptional tackling and great range in zone coverage, but after signing Bryan Cook in free agency, the Bengals could theoretically locked down their safety role for most of the next half-decade with those two at the tip of the spear.
While there are some reports that Downs doesn't have the best medical history, the man himself claims that stories in the press that attest to his poor health were misrepresented, seemingly saying that teams are less concerned about his availability than some reports.
Downs and Cook could leed a defensive resurgence in Cincinnati, so much so that if he is there at No. 2 overall, the Bengals shouldn't even spend a moment to consider other options. Take him and watch the defensive back room flourish.