Buzz grows on Bengals fan favorite lasting till 10th overall pick in NFL Draft

The Cincinnati Bengals are in dire need of a first-round pick from the 2026 NFL Draft who can truly move the needle. Memory fails to recall the last time they acquired someone like that. Oh wait. It was Ja'Marr Chase about a half-decade ago.

This year is the highest the Bengals have picked since they selected Chase fifth overall in 2021. They can't afford to whiff on the premium selection, or get a middling player. Positional value shouldn't be a big concern. Just get a good, immediately impactful football player. Seems pretty easy to do with a top-10 pick, but the Bengals love to make everything hard on themselves.

One of the most beloved prospects in Who Dey Nation is Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. Capable of playing deep, in the box, or at the nickel, Downs is as clean of a defensive back prospect as there is.

Based on some of the weird vibes after Ohio State's pro day on multiple fronts, it's becoming more likely that Downs is available when Cincinnati goes on the clock at No. 10.

NFL Media expert Daniel Jeremiah shares shocking intel on Caleb Downs' draft stock

Daniel Jeremiah has worked as an NFL scout before. He's plugged in to the league like few are, especially when it comes to the draft.

Not that DJ doesn't like Downs as a prospect, but he did mention in a recent interview with 105.3 The FAN in Dallas that the Buckeyes star could make it all the way to the Dallas Cowboys at 12th overall. That'd obviously put him in play for the Bengals two picks prior.

Jeremiah went as far to say that some teams have Toledo DB Emmanuel McNeil-Warren ranked ahead of Downs, while others have Oregon's Dillon Thieneman as the top safety in the class.

"With Downs, you're looking at someone who's not big. He's under six feet, he's a little over 200 pounds, he's got short arms. He doesn't have a ton of splash plays. [...] I have Downs as my top safety, then McNeil-Warren, then Thieneman, but the fact that we've seen safeties historically drop a little bit, and this guy? You put him on a stage next to Derwin [James], Kyle Hamilton, and [Nick] Emmanwori, he's not gonna look like those guys. Like he's just not. So where does that place him? I think he's more likely to go 10 to 20 than to go in the top 10."

Lack of "splash plays" may be more due to Downs being in such prime position to make plays so often, or perhaps Jeremiah is referring to his lack of ball production. Still, six interceptions in three years isn't nothing. If that's an area where Downs is perceived to have room for improvement, well, that bodes well!

A little more added context: Jeremiah had previously brought up the likes of Derwin James, Kyle Hamilton, and Nick Emmanwori before the quoted passage. They're Swiss Army Knife defensive types like Downs, but James and Emmanwori have freakish athleticism, and Hamilton has ridiculous size. Downs isn't some unathletic weakling, yet he lacks those truly elite physical attributes.

DJ's larger point, too, was about how James, Hamilton, and Emmanwori all fell further than expected in the draft.

James waited until No. 17 to go to the Chargers in 2018, and is a five-time All-Pro. Hamilton went 14th to Baltimore in 2022 and is a three-time All-Pro. The Seattle Seahawks just won the Super Bowl because they traded up in Round 2 to draft Emmanwori 35th overall.

Another weird thing: Downs met with the Bengals at the Combine. When asked about it at the OSU pro day, he refused to comment whether that meeting took place.

Is that strange to anyone else? Is Downs trolling? Or playing coy? Have the Bengals made a promise to him, and he's just trying to get everyone off the scent?

If anything this comes across as Downs not having a good experience. Given how smart he's reputed to be as a player, though, it feels more like a 4D chess move. Downs could be implying the Bengals will for sure draft him, and other teams should pounce before then. Or he's sending a not-so-subtle message that he doesn't want to play in Cincinnati. Hopefully not the latter!

Regardless, it is true that even some of the best safeties prospects can tend to slide on draft night. I'm for sure in the camp hoping it happens to Downs until the Bengals pick in Round 1!