Ohio State All-American safety Caleb Downs is widely regarded as a top three overall talent regardless of position in the 2026 NFL draft. Despite this, his draft projections have been all over the place for a few different reasons. First, Downs does not pay a premium position. Not a lot of safeties see second contracts with the team that drafted them, and they are on the lower side when it comes to average annual salary per year. Second, Downs chose not to test at the combine or his Pro Day, instead letting his film do the talking. Teams may be wondering what type of athlete they are getting. Finally, there are some questions as to where Downs can best fit in the NFL. Some peg him as more of a box player (an area he played a lot of his final year at Ohio State), citing a lack of elite production in deep coverage.
Below, I will take a look at some of these concerns to determine if Downs would be a good fit for the Commanders and new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones.
Caleb Downs:
-
NFL comparison: Eric Berry
Advertisement
Downs comes with a myriad of accomplishments dating back to his true freshman year at Alabama.
Alabama (2023):
-
Second-team Associated Press All-American
-
National Freshman of the Year
Ohio State (2024-2025):
-
Started all 16 games (2024)
-
National Championship (2024)
-
First-team Associated Press All-American (2024)
-
First-team All-Big Ten (2024)
-
Big Ten Conference Defensive Back of the Year (2024)
-
Started all 14 games (2025)
-
First-team Associated Press All-American (2025)
-
First-team All-Big Ten (2025)
-
Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Year (2025)
-
AP Defensive Back of the Year (2025)
-
Recipient of Jim Thorpe Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy (2025)
Non-Premium Position
You have often heard me talk about the importance of drafting a player at a premium position when selecting inside the top 10. Quarterback, wide receiver, offensive tackle, EDGE and corner back are the five positions that are deemed “premium” in the NFL. However, when you have an elite talent at a non-premium position, the front office must do a deep-dive into that player. This draft is unique in that it features possibly three elite talents at non-premium positions within the top 10 – Jeremyiah Love (Notre Dame running back), Sonny Styles (Ohio State linebacker) and Downs.
Advertisement
Downs may be labeled as a safety, but he brings SO much more to the table.
Position Versatility:
-
Box defender in run support
Leadership:
Caleb’s leadership is mentioned every time his name is brought up in NFL circles. This trait was seen as a freshman at Alabama, and it was what made him a team captain at Ohio State as a true junior.
Football IQ:
Down’s football IQ is off-the-charts. He is the type of player who understands route concepts, is always in the right place at the right time and can wear the Green Dot in the NFL. He’s a true student of the game and lives and breathes football.
Athleticism:
Caleb Downs did not test at the NFL combine or his Pro Day, but he’s put plenty on tape for scouts and general managers to see his unique athleticism.
Watch the moves and speed on this 85-yard punt return.
Because his instincts are so high and he rarely has to guess, his closing speed is taken to another level.
Pro Day:
The ease and fluidity at which Caleb Downs moves are flawless.
Not just a box safety:
Although Downs made a ton of plays in the box during his college career, it’s the versatility that I highlighted above that makes him stand out.
Advertisement
I believe that whoever drafts Downs will be getting a chess-piece they can move all over the defense to help disguise coverages, take away key components of an offense and help shore up communication on not only the back end but the entire defense.
When asked to play as a true center fielder or split two-high, Downs displayed exceptional eye discipline, rare closing speed, and great ball skills. He also one of the best tacklers in this draft class and has a knack for creating fumbles.
To label him as just a box safety is lazy analysis.
How could Washington use Caleb Downs:
If Adam Peters were to select Downs with the seventh overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft (which I believe is a distinct possibility), he and free agent newcomer Nick Cross could form one heck of a backend for Daronte Jones.
Advertisement
First, I could see Downs getting the Green Dot in this new defense. His intelligence, leadership and intangibles make him an immediate leader and someone who I can see becoming a future team captain.
Knowing that Jones likes to play a lot of zone looks featuring cover 2, PALMS and match-up man concepts, and how much he values alignment versatile defensive backs, Downs could become a Swiss-Army knife; almost a blend, if you will, of Ravens All-Pro Kyle Hamilton and Bucs standout Antoine Winfield. He’s as sure a tackler as you’ll find in this draft and his coverage skills are criminally underrated.
Downs can be deployed from anywhere in the secondary and having him on the field on all three downs will keep offenses guessing.
For a defense that is designed on creating chaos and forcing quarterbacks into making quick decisions, Caleb Downs may be a perfect fit in Washington.
Read the full article here