Who is Caleb Downs? Introducing the Cowboys’ first-round pick
With the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, as they traded up from their original No. 12 selection with the Miami Dolphins to take the All-American defensive back. In the deal, the Cowboys gave up two fifth-round picks.
“Extremely excited, extremely blessed to be here,” Downs said. “I’m excited to be a Cowboy and play football. I had a great feeling on our 30-visit.”
As a fit for the Cowboys, Downs could come in and immediately start at safety or the nickel corner spot. His instincts in coverage allow him to play in a large range on the back end, but he also brings the physicality to play close-man coverage at the line as a nickel cornerback.
“Be able to play in a lot of different facets,” he said about his role in Dallas. “Be at the line of scrimmage and the deep part of the field.”
A two-year starter at Ohio State after a standout freshman season at Alabama, Downs combined for 256 tackles, six interceptions, 10 pass deflections and three forced fumbles in his college career. In his junior season at Ohio State, he won the Jim Thorpe Award for the nation’s best collegiate defensive back.
While offensive players were flying off the board early, defensive players started to come off in a hurry such as LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles and Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese. This forced a small trade up for the Cowboys to secure their guy.
A native of Hoschton, Georgia, Downs will depart his draft party and head straight to Dallas on Thursday night to be introduced as the newest Dallas Cowboy on Friday afternoon in a press conference.
This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 8:14 PM.
