Cincinnati Bengals
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Bengals draft target Caleb Downs gave a blunt take
The Cincinnati Bengals have a clear focus heading into the 2026 season; improving their defense. In 2022, the Bengals defense ranked as the fifth-best in points per game allowed, and that resulted in a trip to the AFC Championship. Since then, the Bengals have had bottom-12 units in three seasons, which has led Cincinnati to miss the postseason all three years.
With over $50 million in available cap space, Cincinnati has the necessary resources to bring in top free agents with the hopes of improving their defenses. Additionally, the team has a top-10 pick in the NFL draft after their 6-11 record. They have not selected in the top-10 since the 2021 NFL Draft, where they drafted Ja’Marr Chase with the fifth overall pick.
With free agency still looming, all signs point to the Bengals using their top selection on a defender. Who that is remains to be seen. However, a potential Bengals target has made his feelings clear on how he compares to the rest of his draft class.
Caleb Downs Shares Blunt Take
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs is considered to be one of the best prospects in this year’s draft class, and the top-ranked safety. Unfortunately for him, safeties rarely get selected inside of the top 10.He was asked his feelings on safeties not getting selected as high, to which he said, “At the end of the day, it’s about who’s the best defender.”
Following that statement, he was asked if he was the best defender. He responded, “Yeah. I feel confident every time I step on the field. If I would say I walked on the field and thought anybody was better than me, yeah, that’s not true.”
Downs has previously been mocked to the Cincinnati Bengals by NFL Network analyst Bucky Brooks. Brooks had the Bengals selecting Downs with the tenth overall pick.He wrote, “The defense has fallen apart since Jessie Bates III’s departure. In 2022, Bates’ final season with the team, Cincinnati ranked 16th in yards allowed, then dropped to 31st, 25th and 31st over the next three seasons. Adding a multi-faceted playmaker to the lineup would go a long way to boosting this unit, and Downs is a high-IQ defender who excels near the box or in the deep half as a playmaking specialist.”
Cincinnati Bengals’ Mentality
Sports Illustrated writer Russell Heltman believed that the Bengals will probably enjoy Downs’ blunt response, as he wrote, “Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden would probably love that answer.”
When Al Golden was asked about what he is looking for in a safety, he said, “At the very top of what we’re looking for at that position is football intelligence. 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.”
Bleacher Report’s Daniel Harms described Downs as, “The single best prospect for the 2026 draft cycle. With his experience in Matt Patricia’s defense, he’s going to hit the ground running for whatever NFL team drafts him.” Adding an intelligent safety would likely help address some of Cincinnati’s defensive issues over the past three seasons.