One player could fix the Bengals' defense, but the Cowboys could disrupt their draft plans.
The Bengals’ defense was a mess in 2025 and played a huge role in the team’s overall failures. The unit allowed a league-high 492 points, and ranked near the bottom in most key categories. Cincinnati’s secondary couldn’t stop explosive passes or create enough turnovers.
Entering the 2026 NFL Draft, the group still misses that reliable playmaker who can read the field, support the run, and flip momentum with a big hit or interception.
That’s why Caleb Downs is a name that keeps popping up in their plans. The Ohio State safety, who won the 2025 Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back, put up 60 tackles (40 solo), five tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, and two pass breakups in 13 games while helping the Buckeyes lead the country in total defense.
His PFF overall grade sat at 83.9 (38th among qualified safeties), with an impressive 87.0 coverage grade that showed how well he mirrors tight ends and routes in the middle of the field. At 6-ft-0 and 205 pounds, he’s versatile enough to play deep, in the box, or slot, and he can even add value on special teams.
With the No. 10 pick and seven more selections, the Bengals have a real shot at landing a difference-maker like Downs. It feels like the kind of move that could finally give the offense some breathing room instead of watching another season slip away because the defense couldn’t hold up.
Bengals could face competition from Cowboys for Caleb Downs
Here’s where it gets interesting and a little nerve-wracking for the Bengals. Per ESPN’s Matt Miller and Jordan Reid, Downs is exactly the type of player the Dallas Cowboys would maneuver aggressively to land.
Downs has been linked to the Bengals in mocks throughout the year, and the Cowboys’ desire to land him could set up a direct showdown between two teams with nearly identical needs.
Dallas went 7-9-1 last year and allowed 30.1 points per game, dead last in the league, while giving up 251.5 passing yards. The Cowboys have the same kind of secondary holes and hold the 12th pick, two selections below Cincinnati.
However, Dallas also owns an extra first-round capital that makes a small trade-up very doable: the 20th overall pick it acquired from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for Micah Parsons.
If the Cowboys sense the Bengals front office is all-in on Downs, they could jump ahead using their extra assets to secure perhaps the biggest defensive prospect in the draft.