8 NFL teams want Caleb Downs, but who actually needs him most?

Caleb Downs, among a few players inside the top 20 potential NFL Draft picks, will be a hot topic Thursday as his landing spot is up in the air. He’s a consensus top 15-20 pick and could fall closer to 20 or go within the first seven or eight picks. The Cincinnati Bengals were a prime team to watch that would take the former Ohio State Buckeye safety, but without the No. 10 pick anymore, it makes you wonder who the frontrunners are — I’ll give you a hint, there are eight of them. 

The Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints are all among teams interested in landing the top safety in this draft. Who will be able to land him and which teams see him as a priority? Let’s dive into FanSided’s Big Board and see which teams need him the most. 

Why the Cowboys, Saints need Caleb Downs the most

The Dallas Cowboys have been one of the most talked about teams ahead of the NFL Draft (I know, shocker, right?). A lot of the draft talk around the Cowboys has been centered around what they’ll do with the No. 12 pick. There’s been a lot of speculation that Jerry Jones might pull the trigger to move up for one of the elite EDGE rushers. But what if it’s all a smoke screen? Jones likes to talk a big game but seldom backs it up. That’s also why Downs may be the play for Dallas this whole time. 

There’s no surprise they need a safety and his versatility makes him the perfect addition to this defense. According to The Landry Hat, Downs would be best suited as a nickel safety for the Cowboys, playing both inside the box and in coverage. The Landry Hat compared taking Downs to when the Cowboys took Darren Woodson and he’s in the Cowboys Ring of Honor. 

The New Orleans Saints could very well be interested in Downs as well at No. 8. Tyrann Mathieu’s retirement before last season opened up a vacancy. Downs would be a great selection for the Saints because of the perfect fit he’d have in Brandon Staley’s 3-4 scheme that utilizes a hybrid safety. Downs ability to defend the run and overall makes this a home run selection for New Orleans.

Why the Vikings, Chiefs and Dolphins won’t be aggressive in trying to land Caleb Downs

The Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins all have their reasons for being interested in Downs, but not being aggressive in trying to land Downs. For the Chiefs, they probably have their priorities set on pass rusher. Especially if Arvell Reese is there at No. 3 and they have a chance to move up. The Chiefs currently have the No. 9 pick and have been heavily rumored to move up. If they’re targeting either Rueben Bain Jr. or Reese, chances are Downs is a last resort. 

The Vikings may be the most interesting team when it comes to landing Downs because safety is a top priority and Dillon Thieneman has been a name to watch for them with the No. 18 pick. I don’t think Minnesota would want to move up into the top 10 just for Downs when they don’t have to give up the draft capital and still get a quality player with their current pick. According to FanSided’s big board, if Minnesota would trade up for any player, it would be Jeremiyah Love. The Vikings have running back depth problems so if they were to trade up, it would make more sense to do that than taking Downs. 

The Miami Dolphins truthfully could be a sneaky team to be in play for Downs, but again, they don’t have to make him a priority. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is another talented safety in this draft that the Dolphins could take with their second, first round pick (if he falls that far). They need a wide receiver and desperately need cornerback help. Safety isn’t as important of a position fill, which is why trading up for the Dolphins just doesn’t make much sense.

The Washington Commanders could be the sneaky team to watch for Caleb Downs

The Washington Commanders have kept their cards close to themselves, not teasing what they plan on doing with the No. 7 pick. It's exactly why they could be eyeing Downs as their choice. Similar to how Downs fits with the Saints, he could play a pivotal role in the offense where he's essentially the quarterback of the defense as a safety.

The Commanders went on a spending spree this offseason. The one position the Commanders weren't as aggressive in addressing is the safety position. Could they have already identified Downs as their target and were waiting for the draft to find their future star safety? It wouldn't shock me. Sonny Styles would be ideal, but if the New York Giants draft him first, Downs could be there for them to steal.

New York Giants may be thinking about Caleb Downs with two top 10 picks

The New York Giants sent Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals for the No. 10 pick and it could have been to land Downs. It's widely believed the Giants will take Sonny Styles with the No. 5 pick so that makes things interesting with the No. 10 pick. Sure, going after a wide receiver is the smart move to make -- especially if Makai Lemon, Carnell Tate or even Jordyn Tyson are there. Downs is so good, paired with a coach like John Harbaugh would be the best thing for him.

Harbaugh coached safeties like Ed Reed, Eric Weddle and Kyle Hamilton to be the very same style of safety Downs is. If that's Harbaugh's type and acquiring that second top 10 pick was about getting arguably one of the best athletes in this year's draft, the Giants could try and make the move to bolster this defense.

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