CINCINNATI — Bengals 2026 NFL Draft target Caleb Downs met with the media at the NFL Combine on Thursday and had plenty to say about his game.
Downs is the consensus best safety in the draft and the eighth-best player overall on the Mock Draft Database.
Don’t tell Downs he’s eighth. The Ohio State product thinks he’s the best defender in this class.
“At the end of the day, it’s about who’s the best defender,” Downs said about safeties rarely getting selected in the top 10.
“Are you the best defender?” the reporter asked back.
“Yeah,” Downs said bluntly. “I feel confident every time I stepped on the field. If I would say I walked on the field and thought anybody was better than me, yeah, that’s not true.”
Dec 6, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs (2) and cornerback Lorenzo Styles Jr. (3) react in the first half against the Indiana Hoosiers during the 2025 Big Ten championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
All of his preparation across three seasons at Alabama and Ohio State has prepared him to thrive right away in the NFL.
“I would say my preparation, honestly, my preparation before the game is really what allows me to play confidently in the moment and on the field,” Downs said at the podium. “So I would just say my instincts when that moment comes, being able to see everything and react to that situation.”
Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden would probably love that answer.
“At the very top of what we’re looking for at that position is football intelligence,” Golden said about the safety position on Wednesday. “The second one is command. You know, are they demonstrative? Are they audible? Do they make the checks? And so that’s why this part of it is so critical.”
Cincinnati is ready to overhaul its defense with a few new players and internal improvement.
Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin is excited about the defensive prospects available to be picked.
“Depends on who you are. I can name difference makers at every position,” Tobin said this week about the value of safeties changing. “If you can find a difference-maker, it doesn’t matter what the position is behind his name. There’s definitely been difference-making safeties. There have been difference-making guards. The positions that are typically undervalued in free agency or whatever, there have been difference makers. And if you can find a difference maker that can elevate your football team, I think you do that.”
Cincinnati holds top 10 picks in six of the seven rounds this coming April.
Caleb Downs when asked about the positional value of taking a safety high in the draft:
“At the end of the day, it’s about who’s the best defender.”
Reporter, “Are you the best defender?”
“Yeah.” pic.twitter.com/OBlQPjcX2Z
— Dan Hoard (@Dan_Hoard) February 26, 2026
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