The Cincinnati Bengals added to the safety room during free agency with the signing of former Kansas City Chiefs safety Bryan Cook. Presumably, he and Jordan Battle will be the duo in the defensive backfield. But could a third name be in the mix? Could the Bengals actually land Ohio State safety Caleb Downs in the draft?
Daniel Jeremiah shows there is a chance with his latest mock draft of the season. The Bengals somehow see Downs fall to them at No. 10, which was starting to feel quite outrageous based on other mock drafts.
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“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.”
So how does Downs remain available at No. 10 here? For one, the other presumed top defensive options all went off the board. Arvell Reese (Jets), Sonny Styles (Giants), Rueben Bain (Commanders) and David Bailey (Saints) were all gone, as were the top two offensive tackles (Francis Mauigoa to Arizona, Spencer Fano to Kansas City). Add in Jeremiyah Love to Tennessee and Carnell Tate to Cleveland, plus the obvious pick at No. 1 (Fernando Mendoza) and you have Downs available for the Bengals.
In a world where three-safety packages are becoming more prevalent across the league, a trio of Cook, Downs, and Battle would be a very intriguing one for the Bengals and one that can bring plenty of versatility. Downs has the ability to play all over the field, Cook can play near the line of scrimmage and Battle showed to be a very solid tackler in his own right.
This is likely to be Downs’ floor in the draft, but his ceiling has been inside the top five. The New York Giants have been connected to him very often in mock drafts. But if he slips through the cracks, the Bengals should be ready to pounce.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: NFL mock draft saves Bengals, creates ‘A’ grade offseason