Caleb Downs

Summary

Caleb Downs (21 years old) is a standout safety who began his college career at Alabama in 2023 before transferring to Ohio State in 2024, where he has played through the 2025 season where he recorded around 60 total tackles with five tackles for loss, one sack and two interceptions. Downs earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors, the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back, the Lott Trophy, unanimous All-America recognition, and helped Ohio State win a national championship in 2024, adding to his résumé as a two-time All-American and decorated defender. Academically, Downs has maintained good standing throughout his collegiate career and continuing his progression toward degree completion. Off the field, he is widely regarded by coaches and teammates as a high-character leader with a disciplined work ethic and professionalism, and many accounts have Downs as the best interview of the 2026 NFL Combine circuit. There are no known significant off-field incidents in his college career. Overall, Downs is an extremely clean prospect who would be in the conversation for the top pick in the draft were it not for positional value.

Strengths

• Elite Instincts: Diagnoses route concepts and run fits quickly, consistently putting himself in position to make plays. Mirrors tight ends and bigger slots effectively with fluid hips and competitive technique.

• Mr. Do-it-All: Comfortable playing deep safety, in the slot, or rotating into the box depending on the call. Covers significant ground from the middle of the field, allowing flexibility in single-high and split-safety looks.

• Ball Hawk: Locates the football naturally in the air and shows strong timing at the catch point.

• Run Hammer: Triggers downhill decisively and finishes tackles with authority near the line of scrimmage. Wraps up consistently and limits yards after contact with sound fundamentals.

Weaknesses

• Angle Monitor: Will overcommit downhill at times, opening space behind him in play-action looks. At times takes aggressive pursuit angles that allow cutback lanes.

• Gamblin’ Man: Confidence in instincts can lead to jumping routes and creating potential explosive-play risk. When he guesses wrong, it can take an extra beat to regain ideal positioning.

• SuperSize Me: Can be slowed by bigger receivers when asked to fit aggressively in the run game and may face challenges consistently matching up with larger, more physical NFL-caliber targets. Heavy involvement in run support and coverage could increase long-term durability concerns.

• Penalty Risk: Physical style occasionally flirts with contact beyond five yards.

Outlook

Downs is a rangy, instinctive playmaker with rare speed, physicality in the run game, and the versatility to patrol deep zones, match tight ends and slot receivers, and come downhill as a box defender, making him a true three-down safety. He projects best in versatile, multiple-look defensive schemes that allow safeties to roam and pattern match—such as modern 4-3 and 4-2-5 fronts that emphasize disguise and post-snap flexibility—because his combination of coverage agility and downhill physicality thrives when he isn’t locked into a single role. Downs projects as a top-five talents that may be relegated to the top 15 due to positional value.

Pro Comparison: Jamal Adams

Team Fits: NYJ, NYG, ARI, CLE, WAS