Could the Bengals add a dynamic safety to improve their defense?
The Cincinnati Bengals have a lot of work to do on their defense, and their first round pick almost certainly will be used on that side of the ball.
It appears they met with a safety they could potentially pair with Jordan Battle going forward.
According to Malik Wright, Georgia Bulldogs safety Malaki Starks met with the Bengals at the NFL Combine.
Georgia Safety Malaki Starks first meeting was with the Cincinnati Bengals
Via @TWSN___ pic.twitter.com/aMLnA8y5E9
— Malik Wright (@Wrightreportt) February 27, 2025
Starks is the prototype of modern NFL safety. He is able to play either the safety spot or even go into the slot. He can be used in both man-to-man or playing center field.
Starks, simply put, is one of the top players in this draft, and if teams go on a run for pass rushers, he could fall into Cincinnati’s lap at No. 17.
Right now the team has Battle, who has looked promising in his first two seasons. Then they have veteran safeties Vonn Bell and Geno Stone. Stone specifically could be a cap casualty as he failed to show up until late in the year last season and the team can create just under $7 million in cap space.
In any case, Stone only signed a two-year deal in the offseason, so they need a more long-term solution at that position. Starks’ versatility would help solve that problem for the foreseeable future.
