The 2026 NFL Draft features a handful of blue-chip playmakers with the potential to make an immediate impact. But there might be one who stands out among the rest.
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs is poised to take the NFL by storm as the best “pound for pound” prospect in the class.
While bold and bodacious statements are common this time of year, the 6-foot, 205-pounder checks all the boxes as an elite defender with the versatility, ball skills and big-play potential to make game-changing plays within the box or as a deep-half safety defending the sideline. Downs is the new school safety that every defensive coordinator covets in the lineup.
As a three-year starter at Alabama and Ohio State, the two-time All-American enters the NFL after totaling 164 solo tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, six interceptions and 12 passes defended in 44 career games. With a championship pedigree and a professional approach that has been passed down from his Dad (Gary, who spent seven years in the NFL with the New York Giants, Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons from 1994-2000) and older brother (Josh, a third-year pro with the Indianapolis Colts) as part of a thriving “family business” within the NFL.
Downs’ bloodlines, performance and production will intrigue coaches and scouts looking for a game changer that can fill multiple roles as a hybrid safety in base and sub packages. Given the league’s shift to “position-less” football with five and six defensive backs on the field, the presence of a high-IQ safety with versatile skills and A-plus instincts enables defensive play callers to utilize the back pages of their playbook to stymie high-powered offenses around the league.
Here’s the book on Downs:
UPSIDE
Downs enters the league as the new prototype at the safety position. The third-year junior displays a dynamic game that enables him to play anywhere within the defensive back “triangle” (free safety, strong safety, slot cornerback) without missing a beat. As a hybrid defender with cornerback-like cover skills and linebacker-caliber “thump” ability, Downs is the chess piece creative defensive play callers want in the back end.
Ohio State defensive coordinator and former NFL head coach Matt Patricia showcased the playmaker’s skills by using him in various roles to maximize his instincts and diagnostic skills. From blitzing the “A” gap (designated hole between the center and offensive guard) to floating into the middle as a “robber” tracking the QB’s eyes, Downs displays the high IQ and awareness to handle a heavy mental workload without short-circuiting.
Most importantly, the All-American is a “see ball, get ball” defender with the speed, quickness and range to track down the ball along the boundary. With eliminating deep balls viewed as a top priority by defensive coordinators around the league, Downs’ range, instincts, and ball skills as a deep-half defender set him apart from others at the position.
As coaches and scouts spend more time conducting an extensive film study on the “do-it-all” defender, Downs’ polished fundamentals, footwork, and physicality make him an easy prospect to fall in love with during the pre-draft process.
DOWNSIDE
It is hard to nitpick Downs’ stellar game, but harsh graders will focus on his lack of experience as a centerfielder in a single-high safety system. Although he displays the athleticism, instincts and agility to thrive as the ornament atop the Christmas tree, the impending rookie will need some time to work on his footwork and fundamentals as a post-defender positioned between the hashes.
Additionally, Downs must display the footwork and agility to execute the turns and transitions required to play man-to-man coverage on slot receivers and tight ends. While he clearly possesses the athleticism to play man-to-man coverage on tight ends, scouts must assess his movement skills in positional drills to determine if he can match up with slot receivers in space. If he is capable of matching up with shifty receivers on the perimeter, Downs will give the defensive play-caller the flexibility to utilize various man coverage concepts to blanket aerial attacks with base or sub-package personnel (Nickel).
VERDICT
Downs is arguably the best prospect in the 2026 class. The Ohio State standout dominates the game from his safety position, exhibiting the coverage skills, tackling ability, ball skills and range to flourish as a designated playmaker in a “see ball, get ball” scheme. As a hybrid safety with the flexibility to play anywhere within the triangle as a safety or “Big Nickel,” Downs is the designated defender coaches covet as a centerpiece of a championship-caliber defense. With teams viewing Downs as a potential Budda Baker-like playmaker in the defensive backfield, the Ohio State standout will come off the draft board quickly on draft night.
