The Cincinnati Bengals’ defense has never recovered from losing Jessie Bates to the Atlanta Falcons three years ago.
But they could get their chance in April if Ohio State’s Caleb Downs is still on the board.
In his first mock Draft following the end of the season, NFL Draft expert Field Yates doesn’t see Downs falling outside the top 10. “It’s a rarity for a safety to go this high,” Yates said. “I think Caleb Downs is a rare player.”
The expert calls the safety a “zero-weakness” player and praised his experience. “He’s played at Alabama for a season and then two years at Ohio State,” Yates said. “He’s played under Nick Saban, the greatest college football coach of all time, and Matt Patricia, one of the most successful defensive coordinators in the NFL over the past 10 or 12 years, right? He’s played in high-level schemes.”
Yates then discussed Downs’ tremendous versatility and impact, saying: “He can be a factor in the box, defending the run. He can be a factor in the box, disrupting the quarterback a little bit. He can play in the deep middle portion of the field as well. Versatility. He is a physical safety as well. He sets the tone. Cincinnati must go defense throughout this offseason.”
No doubt, he is indeed an intriguing prospect. As Sports Illustrated’s Thomas Martinez writes, Downs is a safety “in name only,” as he played 44 of 671 snaps at edge or on the line of scrimmage, 241 as a box safety/linebacker, 240 as a free safety, and 146 in nickel.
Martinez also noted that Downs “comes from an NFL bloodline,” as his father was a running back on the New York Giants, Denver Broncos, and Atlanta Falcons. And Caleb’s younger brother, Josh, is a receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. Meanwhile, the two brothers are the nephews of Dre’ Bly, who made the Pro Bowl as a corner for the Detroit Lions.
Perhaps Caleb’s only weaknesses, according to Martinez, are that he “goes full throttle 100 percent of the time,” leading to missed tackles on occasion, and focuses on big hits, causing him to miss out on interceptions.
We’ll have to see if the Bengals think Downs is the next leader of their secondary or decide to take a pass rusher in the first round instead.
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