The Dallas Cowboys sweated things out during the first round of the NFL draft back in April, hoping that somehow Ohio State star safety Caleb Downs would land in their range. Dallas had the No. 12 pick and when Downs was on the board at No. 11, they decided to head off any last-second interlopers and trade up with the Dolphins to ensure Downs was their man.
And it’s worked out nicely in the first two weeks of the season. The Cowboys have made the clear decision to use Downs as the slot corner, even as safety injuries have piled up (PJ Locke, Malik Hooker) in the secondary. Downs has shown he is an excellent ball-chaser who can be used to blitz and attack running backs, and has been solid enough in coverage, too.
He is getting attention nationally, too, especially as many of the first-round picks from this year’s draft have had their struggles.
Caleb Downs Is ‘Rising’
That is according to Pro Football Focus, the NFL analysis site, which noted some good news for the Cowboys on Twitter/X: “Caleb Downs stock is RISING through two weeks.”
The site wrote that Downs notched a 76.1 grade in Week 2 against the Commanders: “Downs continued to impress as Dallas put together a better defensive performance in Week 2. He tallied seven total tackles, including one stop, while also recording his first career pass breakup. Downs did allow his first career touchdown in coverage on a play where he was a bit late reacting to motion, but it was an otherwise good day for him.
“He and fellow rookie Jaishawn Barham enter Week 3 as the Cowboys’ highest-graded defenders.”
Cowboys Deploying Rookie in Unique Ways
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer has noted the improvement from Downs here in the early part of the season, and added that he has been a big part of the defense’s attempts to get better with communication. Schottenheimer called him a “unique player,” and that the Cowboys want to continue moving him around in different spots on the defense.
Downs forced a fumble in Week 1, though the Giants recovered it. After that game, Schottenheimer said: “I think Caleb played really, really well. Jaxson Dart never saw him on the blitz. He gets a free run and the ball goes spiraling through the air, and the 320-pound guard catches it and rumbles for five yards. That’s kind of how the night went for us. I think that’s one of the positives of what we did on defense: we attacked the ball. We had four forced fumbles.”
Cowboys Rookie Tabbed for ‘Making Presence Felt’ Before Week 3