Anyone who watched Caleb Downs play during 3 seasons at Alabama and Ohio State immediately realized they were watching something special. It remains to be seen if that will translate to the NFL level.
We assume it will, of course, but we have to see it. We’ll get our 1st chance when the Cowboys open the season in a primetime Sunday Night Football matchup against the New York Giants.
Some people are already convinced Downs is something special after the Cowboys selected him at No. 11 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft and signed him to a 4-year, $28.9 million contract.
“Rival teams believe quarterback Dak Prescott is primed for a massive year in his second season with coach Brian Schottenheimer,” The Athletic’s Jeff Howe wrote on September 9. “It won’t matter if the defense doesn’t make huge strides, but there’s no denying they’ve added plenty of intriguing pieces since the controversial Micah Parsons trade. Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark are strong in the middle, and they’ll be more dangerous on the edge if first-round rookie Malachi Lawrence shines early and Rashan Gary and Von Miller have enough left in the tank. There’s every reason to believe safety and fellow first-round rookie Caleb Downs will become a generational leader in Dallas.”
While “generational leader” might sound more like describing Luke Skywalker or Paul Atreides, in this case, the player might actually live up to the hype.
Wild Comparison to Pro Football Hall of Famer
There have been a lot of heady comparisons for Downs before and after the draft. The most incredible of those came from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who compared Downs to San Francisco 49ers legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott — arguably the greatest safety in football history.
Downs was a 3-time All-American at safety but will begin his NFL career as the starting slot cornerback — 1 of 6 new starters on the defensive side of the ball for the Cowboys.
“In 1981, the San Francisco 49ers selected Ronnie Lott in the 1st round of the NFL Draft,” Schefter said on August 20. “So that was 45 years ago, and it transformed the 26th-rated defense in the NFL, and 1 year later, they were Super Bowl champions. Now, 45 years later, it feels like the Cowboys are doing the same thing (with Downs). He’s a transformative player who should not have slipped to where he did in the draft, a player who is smart and who is heady and who can organize a defense and make plays. I think Caleb Downs could have the same type of impact on the Dallas defense that Ronnie Lott did on the 49ers 45 years ago.”
‘Most Impactful’ Offseason Move for Cowboys
ESPN’s Matt Bowen called the Cowboys drafting Downs the NFL’s “Most Impactful” offseason move at the start of training camp.
“Under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, who coached the secondary in Philadelphia last season, Downs will play the Cooper DeJean role — as a slot safety — in Dallas’ nickel packages,” Bowen wrote on July 28. “Downs can create disruption near the line of scrimmage, match in man coverage and find the ball in zone coverage. He had 22 run stops in three collegiate seasons, and I believe his on-ball production will elevate in the pros.”
Cowboys’ $29 Million Rookie Called ‘Generational Leader’ Before NFL Debut