Bengals workout Landon Collins and Arie Kouandjio; murky future at safety

The Bengals have one of the best secondaries in football, but they also have one of the older units, which could use some more youth.

Dre Kirkpatrick and Darqueze Dennard are viewed as the future at cornerback with Terence Newman likely gone while Adam Jones (31) and Leon Hall (30) enter the twilight of their careers.

There's not as much certainty regarding the future at safety though. George Iloka is entrenched as the free safety, but his rookie deal ends next year. With so many contract expiring next offseason, it's not crazy to think at least one key starter is lost? Does it end up being Iloka?

And then there's Reggie Nelson, who turns 32 in September, while also becoming a free agent in 2016. The only other safety that's played snaps is Shawn Williams, who has played all of 39 snaps in his first two NFL seasons since being taken in the third round out of Georgia. Is he capable of starting?

All of these questions may explain why Bengals secondary coach Mark Carrier was on hand at Alabama's Pro Day to conduct All-American safety Landon Collins workout. The Jim Thorpe Award finalist led Bama with 103 tackles, three picks and 10 pass defenses this past season.

Collins played both safety spots and started three games at dime back during three seasons at Alabama, and he's expected to be drafted within the top 20. That means there's a chance he falls to the Bengals at No. 21, or they make a move up to get him. After all, with an extra third-round compensatory pick likely coming, trading pick No. 21 and No. 85 to move up 3-4 spots and secure Collins wouldn't be too difficult or costly.

Anytime a team has a position coach to personally workout a prospect, there's at least some level of interest. The Bengals also sent an offensive line assistant coach (Paul Alexander probably) to workout offensive guard Arie Kouandjio. Like Safety, the offensive line has a lot of age and impending free agents in 2016.

However, with Clint Boling locked up and the ability to pick up Kevin Zeitler's fifth-year option next year, guard suddenly doesn't seem like a need. Adding a guy like Kouandjio in the third or fourth round to develop into a quality backup fits the game plan the Bengals like using with their lineman.