![\"Dallas](\"https:\/\/platform.bloggingtheboys.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2026\/05\/imagn-28855844.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=22,11.569962159031,50.2,50.200076910999\")
<\/p>\nThere was a lot of debate before the 2026 NFL Draft whether the\u00a0Dallas Cowboys\u00a0should jump into the top 10 for a star defensive prospect. The Cowboys did move up but just one spot to secure safety\u00a0Caleb Downs.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Ohio State product has been with the Cowboys for nine days.\u00a0NFL\u00a0rookie minicamp has just started. But unsurprisingly, Dallas head coach Brian Schottenheimer already likes what he sees.<\/p>\n
Schottenheimer shared with reporters Saturday what has stood out with Downs during Cowboys rookie minicamp.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe person, elite. The intelligence, elite,\u201d\u00a0Schottenheimer said of Downs. \u201cIt\u2019s cool for me on the field to watch the ability for him to be going in any direction and how quickly he can get into balance. Why that matters is it matters with the ability to tackle in open field space, make plays on the ball in coverage, time up blitzes.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s just got incredible lower-body athleticism that when you watch him, he always gets into that same position where he\u2019s ready to strike with the same foot, same shoulder whether it\u2019s left foot forward, right foot forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way he moves in the individual periods, which is really what mostly this camp is going to be, it\u2019s very impressive how he can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Cowboys selected\u00a0Downs at No. 11 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. Downs was the first safety off the board in the class.<\/p>\n
What Safety Caleb Downs Will Bring to Cowboys<\/p>\n
One could argue linebacker\u00a0Sonny Styles\u00a0would have filled the very biggest need in Dallas. The Cowboys were near the bottom in a lot of defensive categories last season.<\/p>\n
A significant upgrade at inside linebacker would have begun to solve a lot of those issues.<\/p>\n
But Downs will do a lot of that at safety. His playmaking ability against the run and pass is a great match with new Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker.<\/p>\n
\u201cDowns is an alpha who brings immense juice on each snap. He\u2019s at his best when deployed near the line as a box safety or big nickel back,\u201d\u00a0wrote NFL.com\u2019s Lance Zierlein. \u201cHe\u2019ll gamble a little bit as a run defender, but he makes more than enough disruptive plays near the line of scrimmage to make up for it.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s fluent in man or zone over the first two levels and is rarely fooled by play-action or misdirection.<\/p>\n
\u201cDowns isn\u2019t the biggest, fastest or most versatile player, but he consistently puts his stamp on games.\u201d<\/p>\n
Downs made\u00a0the All-American team twice at Ohio State. Last season, he posted 68 combined tackles, including five tackles for loss, two pass defenses, two forced fumbles and two interceptions in 14 games.<\/p>\n
Cowboys 2026 Offseason Workout Schedule<\/p>\n
Downs and the rest of the Cowboys rookies are at the team\u2019s facility this weekend.\u00a0Dallas\u2019 rookie minicamp will run from May 1-3.<\/p>\n
Then the rookies will leave the team for a brief period because NFL rules require that. Schottenheimer told reporters Saturday that\u2019s something the league might want to consider changing, but any alterations to NFL offseason rules won\u2019t be coming this month.<\/p>\n
The team\u2019s organized offseason workouts will then resume on June 1. The Cowboys will practice six days and then hold their mandatory minicamp from June 16-18.<\/p>\n
Downs is likely to be a storyline for the Cowboys throughout those workouts and into training camp. In 2026, he could also a candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There was a lot of debate before the 2026 NFL Draft whether the\u00a0Dallas Cowboys\u00a0should jump into the top 10 for a star defensive prospect. The Cowboys did… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":44998,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44997","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n