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Ahead of the NFL Draft, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs was compared to Budda Baker of the Arizona Cardinals

This year, the top of the NFL Draft is littered with talent along the defensive side of the ball. That includes Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs, who was recently compared to Budda Baker.

Bruce Feldman of The Athletic spoke to several anonymous executives and coaches ahead of the draft. That includes one personnel director who sees a lot of Baker in his game.

“I think he’s a three-level player,” the personnel director said. “He’s just not that long, and his speed is good but not elite. I think he’s a mix between Budda Baker and Minkah Fitzpatrick. I think he’s worthy of being a top-10 pick. He can play nickel, play strong, blitz.”

Caleb Downs began his career at Alabama in 2023 before transferring to Ohio State, where he would win a national championship in 2024. He’d follow that up in 2025 by being named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and winning the Jim Thorpe Award.

Feldman would go on to note in his article that the comparison to Baker is a common one around the league. That’s particularly because they both lack ideal size for a safety, but have been incredibly productive.

Budda Baker Has Had a Career with the Arizona Cardinals Any Safety Would Take

The Arizona Cardinals took Budda Baker with a second-round pick back in 2017. Since then, he’s spent his entire career with the Cardinals. It’s a career that any defensive back would be happy to have.

In that time, Baker has been an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, a two-time First-Team All-Pro selection, and a two-time Second-Team All-Pro selection. In 2019, he even led the NFL in solo tackles.

Over the course of nine seasons, he’s played in 138 games and made 128 starts. That includes starting every single game he’s played in since 2019. Baker has managed 1,021 total tackles and 678 total tackles during that time, along with 51 tackles for a loss and 10.0 sacks. In coverage, Baker has 8 interceptions and 44 passes defended.

Living up to that comparison won’t be easy for Caleb Downs. It would be a difficult comparison for any player to live up to. However, it does appear that Downs is the kind of prospect who is capable of managing to do so.

It’s Unlikely the Cardinals Land Downs

While the comparison for Caleb Downs is to Budda Baker, it’s not likely that he’ll be making the move to the Arizona Cardinals.

As it stands now, the Cardinals hold the No. 3 overall pick. Rumors have swirled that the Cardinals may be looking to trade it and move back a little bit. However, if Arizona does use that pick, it’s hard to imagine Downs would be the pick.

On top of that, because of Baker, Downs doesn’t necessarily fill a need for Arizona. He’s still there to start. So, if the Cardinals want to find a backup plan as he ages, it’s more likely they’ll do so in a later round. Instead, quarterback, offensive line, running back, and pass rush are much more important to address in the early rounds.

A recent mock draft from Mel Kiper Jr. has the Cardinals selecting Arvell Reese, an OLB from Ohio State. That same mock draft has Downs then going No. 5 overall to the New York Giants. In fact, most mock drafts have Downs going around that point. So, if the Cardinals do want him, it would have to be with the No. 3 overall pick. Trading down might mean he isn’t available.

It’s going to be an interesting draft for the Cardinals, certainly. In particular, that first round and what trades they might make to begin this rebuild.