Latest ESPN Top 10 rankings are missing a Dallas Cowboys player who everyone expects to be there a year from now
The Dallas Cowboys finished ESPN’s rankings season with five “Top 10” players. But if you ask me, it’s likely it will be six in no time.
Well, it’s the end of Jeremy Fowler’s Top 10 rankings over at ESPN, in which he ranks players at each position based on 70+ anonymous NFL scouts, coaches, and execs. All in all, the Dallas Cowboys had five players in this series (tied for fifth most), which has become much more intriguing than the “NFL Top 100,” which frankly brings little insight to the table.
The Cowboys who made the cuts were: DT Quinnen Williams, LG Tyler Smith, QB Dak Prescott, and wide receivers George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb.
But the last part of the series made me think in reality, they might have six Top 10 players. It’s just too early to call one.
Caleb Downs appears bound to be a Top 10 safety
How Fowler poses the exercise to the voters goes like this: “This was not a five-year projection or a career achievement award, but meant to answer a simple question: Who are the best players right now?“
I don’t blame voters for not even handing Cowboys rookie Caleb Downs a single Top 10 vote on Thursday’s edition of the safety position. As promising as he is, he has yet to play a down of NFL football. But all signs point toward him making an immediate impact on the Cowboys defense.
Many saw Downs as one of the best prospects in the entire NFL Draft from a purely talent perspective. To most, the explanation of his fall to pick No. 11 is positional value. Front offices have consistently shown a hesitancy to use premium draft capital at safety. But on film, Downs is an elite tackler with elite football IQ. He’s got the physicality to be an impactful run defender and the coverage skills to play at safety or in the nickel. More on that later.
During the Cowboys offseason program, head coach Brian Schottenheimer admitted the hype is probably unfair for the rookie, who is bound to go through a learning curve. And yet, even he praised Downs’ uncanny IQ by noting “he doesn’t make the same mistake twice.”
Downs already has a role on Cowboys defense
With Downs’ do-it-all brand of football, one of the biggest questions is where is going to start. The early answer is at nickel, based on the Cowboys’ public statements. Luckily for Downs, there’s proof of concept showing he can be a difference-maker there.
Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori ranks sixth on ESPN’s rankings following his rookie year. And trust me when I say this: He was one of the biggest reasons why the Seahawks won the Super Bowl.
Emmanwori was a crucial safety/nickel for the Seahawks. His size, physicality, and coverage skills ensured Seattle could remain on nickel (five defensive backs) on defense regardless of opponents’ personnel groupings.
Though Downs and Emmanwori are different players, the Cowboys rookie will likely serve a similar role in Dallas.
I bet Downs makes ESPN’s Top 10 next year
I think Schottenheimer is right when he says it’s only fair to slow down the hype surrounding Caleb Downs. But at the same time, his film is near perfect. Widely regarded as the smartest player in the class, Downs is likely to hit the ground running.
“Downs is at his best when reading and reacting, which he does at a high level—something I’ve consistently seen during his time at Ohio State,” our own A to Z Sports’ Brandon Little writes. “He has the ability to be a hard-hitting safety who doesn’t shy away from contact, and he’s comfortable in both man and zone coverage. With his instincts, football IQ, and overall talent, there may not be a safer pick in the draft—even at a non-premium position.”
Playing for a defense that will highlight multiplicity under defensive coordinator Christian Parker—who has developed multiple defensive backs into All-Pros in previous stops—the table is set for Downs to thrive.
I’m calling it right now: NFL voters won’t keep him off the list for more than one year.