Dallas Cowboys’ hopes of landing Caleb Downs increase after NFL Draft insider doubles down on strong take
Caleb Downs looked like a far-fetched dream not that long ago. Now, some see him as a realistic target for the Dallas Cowboys.
Not long ago, Caleb Downs looked like the impossible dream that wouldn’t come to fruition for the Dallas Cowboys. Considered one of the best prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft, many view Downs being drafted in the Top 10.
But under a month away from the big day, Downs is no longer sounding like a far-fetched option at No. 12 overall.
Caleb Downs not a guarantee to go in Top 10
“Despite early expectations, draft expert and insider Daniel Jeremiah from NFL Network has suggested Downs could fall outside the Top 10 multiple times this week, even though he’s a Top 10 player on his own board.
“The safety position is a tricky, man,” Jeremiah said Friday on the Pat McAfee Show. “I don’t know that you just say ‘it’s a lock, just lock it in, he’s a top 5 pick, he’s going to go guaranteed even in the Top 10,’ I would say the floor for me is the Dallas Cowboys at twelve.”
Jeremiah noted standout safety prospects like Derwin James, Kyle Hamilton, and Nick Emmanwori all fell on their respective drafts. Historically, it’s a position the decision-makers in the NFL have undervalued compared to the media and fans.
Earlier in the week, Jeremiah shared a similar stance on an interview with 105.3 The Fan.
“Weird stuff happens in the safety position,” he said. “I don’t agree with it but it has been pushed down to some degree. And then with Downs, you’re looking at someone who isn’t big, he’s under six feet, he’s a little over 200 pounds, he’s got short arms, he doesn’t have a ton of splash plays.”
Jeremiah added he knows of teams that don’t have Downs as their top safety of the draft.
“I think he’s more likely to go 10-20 than he is in the Top 10,” he added.
The Cowboys are picking 12th overall and are known to be prioritizing the secondary. Even though they signed Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke in free agency, Downs would make sense. He’s a versatile DB who can do it all.
“He will do his best work as a safety who roams near the line of scrimmage, but I wouldn’t rule him out as a deep safety,” wrote our own draft expert Rob Gregson in Downs’ scouting report. “I believe he has the speed and certainly the instincts to get off the hash and cover the wide areas of the field, or turn and run to cover the post. I could see a team taking time to find where he fits best, but when they do, look out.”
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