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Caleb Downs of Ohio State celebrates after being selected eleventh overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys during Round One of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 23, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

The Dallas Cowboys were able to land Ohio State standout safety Caleb Downs with the No. 11 overall pick after trading up from No. 12.

Downs, who at one point was considered a likely top-five pick, is expected to be an instant impact player for the Cowboys. There are many who expect him to become a superstar throughout his career.

With rookie minicamp officially underway, Downs has made his first appearance for Dallas. He has already turned heads with the coaching staff.

Brian Schottenheimer, the team’s head coach, spoke out highly of Downs on Saturday.

“He’s what we thought. The person, elite. The intelligence, elite,” Schottenheimer said.

“It’s 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. … He’s just got incredible lower-body athleticism. … It’s very impressive.”

Cowboys’ Caleb Downs Put the NFL on Notice With New Comments

As shared by Cowboys insider Jon Machota of The Athletic, Downs spoke out with a strong message to the rest of the NFL. He’s clearly not satisfied with just being a first-round pick.

“The goal wasn’t just to get drafted,” Downs said. “There’s nothing to be settled on right now.”

Clearly, he’s already focused on being great. Downs wants to be a special player for Dallas. He has all of the tools to be just that.

Many young players seem happy just to get drafted. The truly great players aren’t interested in simply being an NFL player. They want to be a household name.

What Will Caleb Downs Bring to the Dallas Defense?

Downs ended up playing three college seasons. His first year was played at Alabama, while his last two years were with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Over his three college seasons, Downs racked up 256 total tackles to go along with 1.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, six interceptions, and 10 defended passes.

Todd McShay, an NFL Draft expert for The Ringer, had some great things to say about Downs leading up to the draft.

“Downs grades out as a day-one starting safety and high-impact defender in the NFL,” McShay wrote.

“His instincts are damn near flawless (that’s where the Ed Reed comparisons begin and end, as Downs is not a ball-hawking center fielder like reed was for the Ravens). Downs’s game compares most favorably to Eric Berry’s (fifth pick in 2010 and five-time Pro Bowler) and Earl Thomas’s (14th pick in 2010 and a six-time Pro Bowler).”

Only time will tell what Downs can become at the NFL level. However, it is clear that the Cowboys got an incredibly talented player who has the drive to become great.