Caleb Downs experienced a quick debut in the NFL. Initially anticipated as a top 10 selection, the ex-Ohio State safety dropped to No. 11, prompting the Dallas Cowboys to move up from No. 12 to select him and strengthen a defense that struggled in 2025. The trade only took place because two NFC East opponents overlooked him in the top 10, a slight that has already ignited a spark in the “Boogeyman.” Currently, as head coach Brian Schottenheimer suggested, Downs aims to make those competitors suffer.

“Caleb actually mentioned that yesterday on the visit,” Schottenheimer said during an interview with the NFL Network. “He was like, I’m making mental notes, so we’re looking forward to those matchups against them.”

Brian Schottenheimer replied when reporters inquired if he should remind Downs that the New York Giants and Washington Commanders selected his Ohio State teammates Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles with the fifth and seventh overall picks instead of him. Furthermore, the Giants overlooked him again when they selected Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa with the 10th pick.

The explanation? The Giants and the Commanders focused on positions of greater value. In New York, General Manager Joe Schoen and Coach John Harbaugh ranked Reese as their top non-quarterback. They were quite excited about that decision.

“Arvell is a versatile player, and we’re going to play him at inside backer, Will linebacker,” Harbaugh said. “Our defense is pretty flexible, position-less, you might call it. We’ll have an opportunity to move those guys around. But he’ll line up next to Tremaine (Edmunds), and he’ll be in the A gap, the B gap, the C gap, the D gap, off the edge. He’ll be moving around with all of our guys.”

That clarifies their fifth overall selection. What occurred in the next five selections? “We stuck with the board,” said Schoen. “And Sisi’s another 20-year-old, believe it or not, he’ll be 21 in June, so we got two young players that we’re fired up about.”

Although Downs was still on the board, the Giants opted to strengthen their offensive line. The Giants were optimistic that they could move down from the fifth pick, acquire additional assets, and still select Downs later. However, that didn’t occur.

“We hoped”, Schoen remarked following the Giants’ selection of Reese. However, there weren’t many situations we considered where he could be available.

For the Commanders, the explanation was clear: they preferred a freak-athlete type, and Sonny Styles matched that profile more than Caleb Downs. Styles measures 6 feet 5 inches and weighs 244 pounds, and he recorded a time of 4.46 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. This makes him bigger than receivers such as DK Metcalf while being quicker than players like CeeDee Lamb. Moreover, his Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.99 placed him fourth among 3,480 linebackers evaluated since 1987.

In contrast, assessors viewed Downs as the more well-rounded football player, featuring a higher baseline due to his outstanding processing, leadership, and instincts. That could certainly be accurate. However, those subtle differences probably won’t be significant for him, particularly since Reese and Styles had an unbroken winning streak last year until the Big Ten Championship.

Therefore, according to Schottenheimer’s statement, Downs is prepared to demonstrate that the Giants and the Commanders erred by not selecting him. He definitely can, as he was regarded as one of the most adaptable defenders from the 2026 draft class after competing for three college seasons at Alabama and Ohio State, while showing consistent improvement every year.

During his two seasons at Ohio State, the new Cowboys safety recorded four interceptions and nine pass breakups without permitting a touchdown. Nonetheless, although Downs might have to postpone facing his old teammates for a few months, a former Cowboy has already provided an example that aligns with Caleb Downs’ desire for retaliation. Micah Parsons was selected early in the draft (12th overall in 2021)

He notably became the third defensive player chosen, trailing cornerbacks Jaycee Horn (No. 8, Panthers) and Patrick Surtain II (No. 9, Broncos). The Cowboys chose him solely because Horn and Surtain were gone. However, few realized that overlooking Parsons would be a significant mistake. Parsons achieved 3x First-team All-Pro honors and made the Pro Bowl 5 times within his first five seasons.

Parsons has been very effective versus Carolina, achieving 5.5 sacks in four career encounters. In his first year game against the Broncos, Parsons remained impressive despite the Cowboys’ 30–16 defeat, achieving 2.5 sacks to equal his career-best at that point. Currently, it appears that Caleb Downs is treading that same route. There’s great optimism that he will instantly enhance a defense that yielded a franchise-record 511 points in 2025 and placed 30th in yards permitted per game.

Additionally, Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones characterized Downs as “a quarterback of the defense,” capable of managing responsibilities at nickel, safety, and cornerback. Despite these lofty assertions, specialists concur, particularly in light of ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr.’s evaluation for America’s Team