‘I wouldn’t give up on Downs’ — Daniel Jeremiah’s comments on Ohio State’s superstar safety could help the Minnesota Vikings
This year’s NFL Draft could end up being fascinating in more ways than one.
One of the biggest needs remaining for the Minnesota Vikings is at the safety position. Through 315 mock drafts, safety has been incredibly popular with two of the top three selections being Oregon Ducks’ Dillon Thieneman and Toledo Rockets’ Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.
The crown jewel of the safety class is Ohio State Buckeyes’ Caleb Downs, who has been consistently projected to go in the top 10 of the draft. It has also led the Vikings to be linked to Downs in zero mock drafts I have collected since the beginning of the year.
Caleb Downs might be in play for the Vikings
There is a world where Downs could end up falling down the board. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah was on a Dallas radio show earlier this week and talked about how the dream for the Dallas Cowboys to select Downs wasn’t dead.
“I wouldn’t give up hope on Downs,” said Jeremiah. “The Mansoor Delaine plane has taken off, and that is not landing anytime soon in DFW. So that one, I think you can forget about. But I do think Caleb Downs is that one I would not, I would not put that one to rest just yet.”
It’s not uncommon that a player ends up falling down the board, especially at safety. Jeremiah linked Downs to fellow elite safety prospects Kyle Hamilton and Derwin James as to why he may fall down the board.
“You told me before that draft and being on the set that Derwin James was going to fall to, I believe 17. Kyle Hamilton fell to 14. Nick Emmanwori, I think, was my 15th or 16th, player, fell to the second round. Like, weird stuff happens in the safety position,” Jeremiah continued. “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’s not big. You know, 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.”
Look, when you watch Downs play, he’s an elite player in the box and somewhat versatile on the back end. There have been a lot of safeties who have fallen down the board, and Downs could be the next. Would the Vikings want to trade up for him? That remains to be seen, but it might be a mistake with how few day two draft picks they have made over the last three years.
If Downs does fall past the Cowboys, it might be worth looking into.
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