Later this month, former Ohio State football players will descend on Indianapolis to participate in the NFL Combine. Several former Buckeyes are expected to be first-round picks. Caleb Downs is going to be one of those players selected on the first day, as he is the best defensive player in the draft.
Where Downs ends up being drafted is up for debate. As a safety, he is not in a position that usually gets drafted highly. Yet, many NFL scouts believe that he has a Hall of Fame ceiling as a player. It would be shocking to see Downs slip out of the top ten.
One NFL Draft guru believes that Downs will not fall out of the top ten. ESPN's Matt Miller believes that if he does somehow fall to 10, the Cincinnati Bengals should take him without a second thought. Miller believes that he could be an immediate difference-maker on defense for the Bengals
Draft analyst believes Ohio State's Caleb Downs would dominate on the Bengals
While appearing on NFL Live, Miler gave his case as to why the Bengals would be a good spot for Downs if he's not taken sooner.
"I think Caleb Downs would be an interesting option here, the safety out of Ohio State. If our colleague Nick Saban thinks you're a good defensive back, I'm also going to say you're a pretty good defensive back. Downs can do it all for this team. He can play split-safety. He can come into the box...Downs can be an eraser. He can align in so many different areas for you."
The Bengals need significant help on defense. Ever since they let Jessie Bates head out in free agency, Cincy has struggled at the safety spot. Cincinnati needs the defense to get more stops so Joe Burrow has a chance to go win games for them.
Downs and Burrow would be a scary pair of Ohio State Buckeyes for opposing teams to face. Of course, there is a chance that Downs is off the board before that pick is made. He could be an instant impact player at the safety spot, no matter where he ends up.