Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Dallas Cowboys selected an elite athlete in the first round, defying conventional positional value assessments at pick No. 11.
- The player in question revealed he often felt underutilized against weaker opponents during his college career, hinting at pent-up potential for the NFL.
- This selection challenges traditional draft strategies and could reshape how teams evaluate and prioritize defensive talent in upcoming drafts.
The Dallas Cowboys landed arguably the best player in the 2026 NFL Draft with the No. 11 pick. There’s no argument to be had about Caleb Downs’ athletic ability. The problem is he is a safety and positional value doesn’t have him as that high of a pick. That’s why Dallas got a steal at No. 11. They addressed a major need, landed a dynamic playmaker, and didn’t really have to give anything up to do it.
Downs mentioned during an appearance on the GBAG Nation show on 105.3 The Fan, he’d get bored at times playing at Ohio State when the Buckeyes were facing far more inferior offenses. That’s not a surprise, teams weren’t going to test him. It’s pretty boring when you don’t get a chance to make a play. He’s not the first player to feel like that.
In recalling his college days, though, he did put a target on his back. He’s riding high after being one of the best coverage safeties in college football. Now he’s admittedly going up against elite talent each week and he just gave them every reason to keep him active each week.
Teams shying away from Caleb Downs in college is proof he was a steal at No. 11
More than just the fact that Downs is one of the best players in this 2026 NFL Draft class, the fact that both the New York Giants and the Washington Commanders let Downs fall to their division foe Cowboys, that’s the real steal. If Downs has a breakout rookie year, it’s going to haunt the rest of the division for years.
Positional value will always come into play, but after this year, that could go out the door in the future. Jeremiyah Love was the first running back since Saquon Barkley in 2018 to get drafted inside the top five — Arizona drafted Love at No. 3. Carnell Tate, a wide receiver, went No. 4. Maybe that’s now considered an old trend teams will back away from. Instead of feeling the pressure of trading back, they’ll just draft who they want, regardless of best available and positional value.
You have to think if Downs has a solid season, teams will start treating safeties like that. If you get a chance to land a good player, you do it. Downs could be just that for the Cowboys, which would be huge for their defense.
Caleb Downs adds pressure for standout rookie season with ‘bored’ comment
One thing Downs won’t be is bored in the NFL. He just put a massive target on himself talking about how he would be bored during some college games at Ohio State. Quarterbacks now have every reason to give him his “Welcome to the NFL" moment. Sauce Gardner comes to mind when it comes to defensive backs with a lot of potential. He had a similar final season when he was with Cincinnati.
Downs has to prove that defensive backs taken high can produce at a high level. The Cowboys need him to and the future of the NFL Draft needs him to. He’s been talked about as the best overall athlete in the NFL Draft, he’ll have to prove that was right.
With Jayden Daniels and Jaxson Dart in the division, he’ll have a whole lot of chances to flex his ability as a coverage defender. Daniels will force Downs to make a decision between collapsing on the run or staying back in coverage. Dart will pose an equal threat with Malik Nabers as his primary target.
Downs will have a lot of chances to prove he was the steal of the draft. If he flops, it will prove why teams were hesitant to take him inside the top 10. If he’s just as lethal as he was at Ohio State, he’ll have Cowboys fans hoping the Downs era is as plentiful as the Darren Woodson era.
More NFL Draft news and analysis
Add us as a preferred source on Google