Football
The Cincinnati Bengals had one of the worst defenses in football last season, but they’ve taken a few steps to improve it this offseason.
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With the Trey Hendrickson saga ending when he signed a deal with the Baltimore Ravens, the Bengals were able to focus their attention on the rest of free agency. They added players like safety Bryan Cook, who’s set to be a major impact player in Cincinnati’s secondary. They also signed Boye Mafe, who’s on the verge of a major breakout. Defensive tackle Jonathan Allen was their third addition in free agency, and it seems like they might be done making big free agency acquisitions.
As a result, all eyes could be on the NFL draft in Cincinnati’s front office.
NFL.com’s NFL Draft expert Daniel Jeremiah recently put together a mock draft for the 2026 NFL Draft. With the No. 10 pick in the first round of this mock draft, Jeremiah projected the Bengals would land Ohio State safety Caleb Downs to bolster their defense even more.
Caleb Downs Would Fit the Bengals Defense Perfectly
“The Bengals can take the best defensive player available here. Downs has versatility, and his Big Ten pedigree will be well received by Cincinnati’s decision-makers,” Jeremiah wrote.
It’s important to note that in this mock draft, Fernando Mendoza, Arvell Reese, Francis Mauigoa, Jeremiyah Love, Sonny Styles, Carnell Tate, David Bailey, and Spencer Fano were the nine players selected ahead of the Bengals. As a result, Downs is the clear best player left on the board, which makes him an easy draft selection over cornerbacks Jermod McCoy and Mansoor Delane.
Downs is more than a safety. He’s a defensive anchor who’s already drawn comparisions to younger versions of Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu. Considering the Bengals had to try to match up with these legendary safeties, they should know very well how valuable it is to have one on their defense.
Downs is an excellent coverage player, but he excels when he’s coming down hill to hit somebody. His instincts are second to none in this draft class and he has some of the better tackling abilities in the entire draft class.
If the Bengals can land Downs at pick No. 10 and then an impact player in the front seven in the second round of the NFL draft could be in play.
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Read More Zach Pressnell