At 10th overall, the Cincinnati Bengals will have fingers crossed and breath held that one of the top prospects on their board falls down the board.
It’s a badly kept secret who the top guy might be.
A few names might come to mind, but most of the draft process has been all about Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.
Some, at least, think he’ll make it to No. 10. Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report recently wrote that Downs is set to be one of the biggest “fallers” on draft night and cites the B/R Scouting Department, which ranks him as the top overall player in the draft class.
“Caleb Downs is the single best prospect for the 2026 draft cycle,” Daniel Harms said, per Davenport. “With his experience in Matt Patricia’s defense, he’s going to hit the ground running for whatever NFL team drafts him.”
As noted, a safety hasn’t come off the board in the top 10 since Jamal Adams in 2017. There’s an outside chance Downs won’t change the NFL’s view of the positional value.
And the Bengals wouldn’t complain. Downs projects as a guy who can play the slot, which is good, as it’s the biggest hole on the roster in Cincinnati right now. Getting him on the field along with Jordan Battle and Bryan Cook would go a long way toward finally fixing the secondary.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals would love if NFL draft ‘faller’ prediction comes true
Reporting by Chris Roling, Bengals Wire / Bengals Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
