The Dallas Cowboys hoped to bolster their defense in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, but it was fair to assume that selecting Caleb Downs, one of the best overall players in the class, was nothing more than a pipe dream given where they were slated to pick. But somehow, some way, Downs fell out of the top 10, allowing the Cowboys to trade up one spot and nab him at No. 11 overall. It felt like a major steal at the time and only looks better now, based on what Dan Graziano wrote for ESPN.
"He's doing great," Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer told me. "For a rookie, so instinctive, doesn't repeat mistakes. When you can play right away as a freshman at Alabama for Nick Saban, you've got some intelligence about you."
Several teams might be kicking themselves already for passing on a player of Downs' obvious talent and pedigree. But none of them are in position to regret it more than the one in his own division: the New York Giants, which passed on Downs not once but twice.
Caleb Downs looks like one of the NFL Draft's biggest steals
As a safety, Downs wasn't going to be valued as the best player in the class. But in terms of true talent, you could realistically argue that nobody was better. As Brian Schottenheimer noted, Downs started as a freshman for Nick Saban at Alabama and only improved at Ohio State, pairing his incredible football IQ with impressive athleticism and physicality. He excelled against the run and against the pass in all kinds of formations.
Given how good a player he was for two prestigious college football programs, there's every reason to believe he's a star in the making at the NFL level. While sure, a safety might not be as "valuable" as an edge rusher or a quarterback, he should have a massive impact on a defense that allowed the most points per game (30.1) and ranked in the bottom three in yards allowed per game (377) last season.
What makes this steal feel even sweeter, though, is that their NFC East rivals had two chances to select him and chose not to.
Giants will regret passing on Caleb Downs in the NFL Draft
The Giants are the biggest culprits here. Not only did they have the No. 5 overall selection, but they also acquired the No. 10 overall pick after trading Dexter Lawrence II to the Cincinnati Bengals. Selecting Arvell Reese at No. 5 overall is defensible, even if Downs has every possibility of being the better player, but the real shocker was New York passing on him for a second time, instead selecting Miami offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa.
Now, Mauigoa plays the more valuable position and could easily prove to be a high-end player. But his stock never quite as high as Downs, and his transition to professional football hasn't gone as swimmingly as planned, including some recent ups and downs while matched up against fellow high draft pick Abdul Carter.
It's obviously too early to come to any conclusions regarding Mauigoa, but it's hard not to think the Giants might've passed on their version of Ed Reed or Kyle Hamilton, both of whom dominated at the safety position under head coach John Harbaugh. While Reed was a late first-round pick, Hamilton was selected with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, just four slots behind where New York could have selected Downs.
Time will tell, but the Giants might've prioritized positional value more than overall value more than they should have, and the fact that the Cowboys of all teams were able to scoop him up makes New York's Downs whiff that much more painful.
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