2026 NFL Draft Falling Into Place for Bengals to Address Critical Weakness

The Cincinnati Bengals have a lot of holes to plug on defense, which isn't a good sign as the offseason begins. The offense is so good and so talented that the Bengals don't need to build a smothering defense to contend for a Super Bowl. All they're going to need is a league average defense to keep pace in the AFC.

One of the biggest spots they need to upgrade is the safety room. The Bengals could dive into the free agency class to look for a safety. There are a few impact players to choose from in free agency. But the most likely scenario sees them selecting a safety or two in the first five rounds of the NFL draft.

The first name to talk about is Ohio State's Caleb Downs. He's projected to go anywhere between pick No. 2 (unlikely) to around pick No. 15 (also unlikely). The most likely scenario sees Downs go between pick No. 8 and pick No. 12. The Bengals have the 10th overall selection.

Bengals Have Plenty of Safeties to Choose From in the 2026 NFL Draft

Oregon defensive back Dillon Thieneman carries the ball as the Oregon Ducks practice on Jan. 5, 2025, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Oregon, ahead of the Peach Bowl. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Downs is a superstar. He can be the anchor to a star studded defense as he was at Ohio State. There's nothing on the field that Downs can't do. The Bengals could opt for an edge rusher or off ball linebacker like Sonny Styles at pick No. 10 because the safety class is so incredible deep with talent.

This safety class has the potential to be generational. Oregon's Dillon Thieneman is expected to go later in the first round, which means the Bengals likely wouldn't be able to land him unless they took him with the 10th pick or traded down. He's an athletic freak with incredible film.

Other Intriguing Options

Speaking of athletic freaks, Toledo's Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is also projected to go late in the first round or early in the second round. He's 6'3" and over 200 pounds. He ran a 4.52 40-yard dash. His film looks like a man amongst boys at Toledo.

LSU's AJ Haulcy, USC's Kamari Ramsey, Penn State's Zakee Wheatley, and Arizona's Genesis Smith are all potential second or third round picks, too. Any of the three could be a plug and play option for the Bengals. And this doesn't even mention some of the potential hidden gems in the class that are projected to be taken in the fourth round or later.

The moral of the story is the Bengals need to land a starting safety in the upcoming draft. They have the perfect opportunity to do so. Downs is clearly the best option. He would be a good pick at No. 10, but if the Bengals pass on him, expect them to target one of the top safeties in the second or third round.

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