Patience pays off sometimes and the Dallas Cowboys felt it on Thursday night when they were able to land Caleb Downs with the No. 11 overall pick. Dallas watched Downs sliding out of the top-10 and at the last second, they traded up one spot to secure the star safety prospect. 

Downs is set to be a versatile piece for Christian Parker’s defense in Dallas, and a part of what the Cowboys hope gets them back to competing for the playoffs and beyond. Dallas’ smart decision to make Downs a Cowboy looks even better when you take a look elsewhere in the NFC North and the reaction it’s getting.  

Giants’ Malik Nabers all but crashed out over the Cowboys picking Caleb Downs

“I’d rather get him than play against him,” Giants WR Malik Nabers said on Bleacher Report’s draft coverage Thursday. “I even told him, I’m like, ‘I’m coming to get ya’. I have to play against this thing again, bro he’s good, he’s very good.  He’s very good, bro, he’s very good. We all got him number one, he’s very good.”

Nabers’ reaction to the Downs selection is totally understandable. Even though Nabers spends most of the time lined up outside while Downs is expected to take on a nickel role early on, the wide receiver knows Downs is a magnet to the football.

The Cowboys getting Downs is crucial as they’re gearing up for an NFC East era featuring Jaxson Dart, Jalen Hurts, and Jayden Daniels in the division—all mobile quarterbacks. What makes Downs so special is his ability to read and react while having the high-end athleticism to make his often-correct diagnosis of a play count. Not only does he get to where he needs to be but he never misses the tackle, too.

In the Cowboys’ words, they wanted a nickel who is “able to cover like a corner, blitz like a safety, and fit the run like a linebacker.” They got that in Downs, and now Nabers and the Giants have to deal with it twice a year.

Caleb Downs has been a star at every level, the NFL should be no different

Ohio State had Downs for just two seasons and he leaves the program as one of the best safeties to ever play in Columbus, and there’s a long list of talent that’s come through at the position. Once Nick Saban retired, Ohio State knew it’d be getting a chess piece for its defense if it could land Downs. The Buckeyes will have a talented defense in 2026 again, but they’re going to miss their star defender now set to be a major piece of the Cowboys defense. 

Downs is more often than not the smartest player on the field and he looked like it in 2025 when he made 68 tackles, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and one sack for Ohio State’s No. 1 defense. Downs produced two interceptions in each of his three seasons in college, so any worries about his coverage ability are overshadowed by proven on-ball production when the opportunities were there. 

Dallas is getting a star for their defense who will stay locked in on and off the field. To get the former Buckeye at No. 11 feels like a massive steal, and clearly Nabers agrees too.