Brian Schottenheimer offers Caleb Downs the ‘greatest compliment’ for a rookie, and it shows why Cowboys rookie will be a menace in no time
The Dallas Cowboys are already impressed by first-round rookie Caleb Downs. And one of the biggest reasons why is becoming clear following comments made by head coach Brian Schottenheimer at OTAs.
Everyone expects Dallas Cowboys rookie Caleb Downs to make a big impact on defense in Year 1. But as a rookie, it’s always tough to calculate how long it will take before everything clicks.
But at least based on what head coach Brian Schottenheimer said Thursday during voluntary OTAs, Downs should look like a menace even from Week 1.
Schottenheimer offers Downs ‘greatest compliment’
Talking to reporters at The Star in Frisco, Texas, Schottenheimer acknowledged the fact that rookies are going to err even when the hype is high.
“Expectations on all high draft picks are real,” Schottenheimer said. “They’re also probably a little bit too high. There’s a transition period, there are going to be mistakes that are made.”
But there’s something different about Downs. Sure, there are mistakes. But they get fixed. Quickly.
“One of the greatest compliments you can give a young player is they don’t repeat mistakes,” Schottenheimer said. “Like if you tell Caleb one thing—and he’s made mistakes throughout the course of Phase II and OTAs, and even the last couple of practices—but he doesn’t make the same mistake twice.”
That reality fits every Downs’ pre-draft evaluation. He is a great tackler and a human missile on the field. But his biggest calling card is his football IQ, which consistently impressed teams in the draft process. Cowboys coaches and players have already praised his smarts.
“At the end of the day you don’t want guys to repeat mistakes because once you’ve learned a skillset, it’s cool to see them make those changes,” Schottenheimer added.
Cowboys need Downs to contribute early
Perhaps it’s unfair to frame it this way, but it’s the truth. After the Cowboys defensive struggles in 2025, the team needs difference makers to step up right away. Downs, though a rookie, is already shaping up to be one of the top playmakers on the team.
If he’s immediately correcting every little mistake, you can expect Downs to have one of the highest snap counts on the team. The guy started for Nick Saban’s defense as a freshman. He immediately digested the Ohio State defense upon transferring, and then did it again when the Buckeyes changed defensive coordinators.
A to Z Sports’ own Brandon Little called him the smartest player in this year’s class. Schottenheimer is already seeing it first hand.