The Cincinnati Bengals added strength to the safety room by signing former Kansas City Chiefs safety Brian Cook in free agency. Presumably, he and Jordan Battle will form a defensive backfield duo. But will a third name appear among them? Can the Bengals really let Ohio State safety Caleb Downs enter the draft?
Daniel Jeremiah indicated the chances with his latest mock draft of the season. Somehow, the Bengals saw Towns fall to them with the 10th pick, which is starting to feel really outrageous based on other mock drafts.
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“The Bengals have the best defensive player they can get here. Towns has versatility and his Big Ten pedigree will be well received by Cincinnati decision-makers.”
So how does Towns maintain his No. 10 spot? First, other putative top defensive options are ruled out. Avre Reese (Jets), Sonny Styles (Giants), Reuben Bain (Director) and David Bailey (Saints) are all gone, as are two offensive tackles (Francis Mauigoa to Arizona State, Spencer Farno to Kansas City). Add in Tennessee’s Jeremiyah Love and Cleveland’s Carnell Tate, plus an obvious No. 1 pick (Fernando Mendoza), and the Bengals have Towns.
In a world where three-safety packages are becoming more common around the league, a trio of Cook, Towns and Battle would be a very interesting combination for the Bengals and bring a ton of versatility. Towns has the ability to play all over the field, Cook can play near the line of scrimmage, and Battle is a very solid blocker in his own right.
That’s likely Towns’ floor in the draft, but his ceiling has always been within the top five. The New York Giants have been frequently linked to him in mock drafts. But if he misses, the Bengals should be ready to attack.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: NFL mock draft saves Bengals, creates ‘A’ offseason
