Will the Bengals Addition of Safety Bryan Cook Dissuade Them from Drafting Caleb Downs, and Should It?

CINCINNATI – As the Cincinnati Bengals move through the first week of free agency, a big question is how much the moves they made Monday and the upcoming ones will affect how they approach the NFL Draft.

More specifically, will the agreement to sign former Kansas City Chiefs safety Bryan Cook to a three-year, $40.25 preclude the Bengals from targeting a player frequently linked to them with the No. 10 pick – Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.

The easy answer is “no.”

Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin touched on the topic, hypothetically, last month at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

“Are we going to let free agency affect our draft?” he asked, making sure he understood the question. “If the best player available is what we’ve done, we’ll probably still do it.

“If there’s a sizable difference, we’re not going to turn down a good player.”

That will be especially true is that player is Downs.

While Cook is under contract through 2028, the team’s other starting safety, Jordan Battle, is set to become a free agent after this season.

Tobin and members of the coaching staff spent a lot of time praising Battle and his growth at the Combine, but there is no certainty the Bengals will sign Battle to an extension.

And even if they do, there will remain a striking absence of depth at safety.

There’s also the wildcard element that Downs would bring to Al Golden’s defensive scheme.

Many scouts view Downs as a safety who can not only play nickel cornerback – a position where Jalen Davis currently resides as the starter on the depth chart – but can be effective against both smaller, shiftier wide receivers as well as tight ends.

"Very mature athlete," OSU color analyst and former Buckeyes offensive lineman Jim Lachey told Bengals play by play announcer Dan Hoard on the Bengals Booth Podcast.

"Does what he has to do off the field, zero issues. He's a leader of the team. He was a leader from the first day that he got here,” Lachey added. “And then you look at production. At Alabama, he had 100 tackles his freshman year. Came here to Ohio State, ended up with 257 tackles for his career. 149 at Ohio State just was an all-purpose type player.”

Lachey went on to praise how quickly Downs picked up the OSU defense after arriving from Alabama and how he quicky became a go-to coach on the field for the other players on defense.

Bengals Should Target Caleb Downs Regardless of Bryan Cook Addition

After watching the slow integration process for the three rookies the Bengals leaned on in 2025 – linebackers Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter and defensive end Shemar Stewart – Downs would be a key player to integrate into what Golden intends to be a much more aggressive, unpredictable defense in 2026.

Aside from the Bengals not typically addressing the safety position in the first round, Downs fits everything the team about.

It’s also worth noting the Cincinnati front office made Cook the highest paid safety in team history, so there is a clear shift in focus in positional value after watching the backend players be a big reason why the team failed to make the playoffs the last three seasons.

If Downs is the best player on the Bengals board when they pick at No. 10, it would be hard to imagine a scenario where they didn’t draft him.