Bengals Safety Snubbed in 2026 Positional Ranking By NFL Voices

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler released his sourced NFL safety ranking this week, and new Bengals thumper Bryan Cook earned some votes in the process.

The former Kansas City Chief and Cincinnati native wasn't named in the top 10 or on the honorable mention list, but did receive votes as one of the 27 best safeties in the NFL.

Snubbed

Cincinnati Bengals safety Bryan Cook (6) gestures during spring practice on at the Kettering Practice Fields on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Fowler canvassed the league for votes from coaches, scouts, and executives to build the list. He explained the voting process that ultimately left Cook on the outside looking in.

"Modern safeties are versatile, and teams are deploying them in different parts of the field with frequency," Fowler wrote. "The latest trend in the NFL is utilizing a safety with size as a 'big nickel,' putting them in the slot to disrupt closer to the line of scrimmage. That has worked for Baltimore thanks to the No. 1-ranked player at the position, and Seattle perfected it with a rookie who is almost a hybrid linebacker/safety.

"This dynamic affected the voting in multiple spots -- sometimes causing confusion about a player's true position. For example, the Eagles' Cooper DeJean is largely considered a corner but will play a mix of safety and slot cornerback in 2026. His votes came in the cornerback pool, where he closed out the list. This year's safety group features at least two dozen quality players worth consideration, but not many truly elite players. And while several well-established veterans maintained their standing in the top 10, this year's list features two debuts."

Just looking at the numbers, this is a massive underrating for Cook.

He finished the 2025 season with an 83.5 Pro Football Focus grade (fourth among safeties who played at least 600 snaps), had the seventh-lowest missed tackle rate in that group (5.6%), gave up just 8.7 yards per catch on completions in his area (sixth-best) and had six pass breakups (tied for fifth among safeties).

Anyway you view this position, Cook should've at least been on the honorable mention list, if not firmly in the top 10. Alas, it's another bit of bulletin-board material for a very motivated Bengals defense. The only explanation is that 2025 was a breakout season for Cook and he needs to prove it again to these voters (first 66-plus PFF graded season of his career).

The veteran has been a great chemistry addition so far and gets to fully suit up for training camp in less than two weeks.

"We all come from different walks of life. We're coming here to try to find a common goal, and how much that grows together means more than anything," Cook said this offseason.

Check out the full safety ranking from Fowler here.

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