The Cincinnati Bengals have a lot of needs to address this offseason, with the majority on the defensive side of the ball.
Pass rusher will be a big need, as the current group is getting weaker with Trey Hendrickson hitting free agency, and their current crop of players not living up to their potential just yet.
But, instead of going defensive line, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. Is predicting that the Bengals will take a safety at 10th overall in Caleb Downs out of Ohio State, making some NFL history along the way.
Bengals predicted to take a safety top-10 for just 2nd time in common draft era
"Down reads plays so well and has the speed and wrap-up technique to wrangle and take down ball carriers," Kiper writes. "And don't sleep on his ball skills: Downs had two interceptions in each of his three college seasons. He's exactly the type of player the Bengals need on the back end."
The Bengals need a lot of help on the defensive side of the ball, and while a pass rusher, defensive tackle, or a cornerback would make sense here, taking someone as good as Downs is hard to pass up on.
Safeties don't go top-10 in the NFL draft; there just isn't a lot of value in the position in the current NFL. But, Downs would be worth it, as the Ohio State safety is widely paned as one of, if not the best, players in this upcoming draft class.
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While taking a safety top-10 might not seem appealing, the Bengals would do well to land this superstar in the making this offseason.
The standout safety has had two interceptions in every season of his collegiate career, and has been a steady defender for a top team in the country over the last three years.
Downs is coming off a strong season at Ohio State, where he had 68 tackles, one sack, two forced fumbles, and one pass defended. In 2024, he had 81 tackles, 0.5 sacks, and six passes defended.
The Bengals must get their first-round pick right, and if they wind up going Downs at 10th overall, it will be hard to view the pick as anything other than a home run.
This prediction from Kiper might be the ideal, as Downs is arguably the best player in the class, and getting him at 10th would be a steal. And it would also make some NFL history, being just the 2nd safety to be taken top-10 in the common draft era.
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