Caleb Downs could be the perfect chess piece for new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones (by @Tiller56)
Ohio State All-American safety Caleb Downs is widely regarded as a top three overall talent regardless of position in the 2026 NFL draft. Despite this, his draft projections have been all over the place for a few different reasons. First, Downs does not pay a premium position.
Not a lot of safeties see second contracts with the team that drafted them, and they are on the lower side when it comes to average annual salary per year. Second, Downs chose not to test at the combine or his Pro Day, instead letting his film do the talking. Teams may be wondering what type of athlete they are getting.
Finally, there are some questions as to where Downs can best fit in the NFL. Some peg him as more of a box player (an area he played a lot of his final year at Ohio State), citing a lack of elite production in deep coverage. Below, I will take a look at some of these concerns to determine if Downs would be a good fit for the Commanders and new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones.
Caleb Downs: 6’0” 206 NFL comparison: Eric Berry Downs comes with a myriad of accomplishments dating back to his true freshman year at Alabama. Alabama (2023): Started all 14 games Second-team Associated Press All-American National Freshman of the Year First team All-SEC SEC freshman of the Year Led team in tackles Ohio State (2024-2025): Started all 16 games (2024) National Championship (2024) First-team Associated Press All-American (2024) First-team All-Big Ten (2024) Big Ten Conference Defensive Back of the Year (2024) Started all 14 games (2025) Team Captain (2025) First-team Associated Press All-American (2025) First-team All-Big Ten (2025) Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Year (2025) AP Defensive Back of the Year (2025) Recipient of Jim Thorpe Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy (2025) Ohio State S Caleb Downs' career college stats: • 3 seasons (44 games) • 257 tackles • 16 tackles for loss • 12 passes defended • 6 INTs • 3 FF, 1 FR • 1. 5 sacks • 2 punt return TDs • 2025 Defensive Back of the Year • 2024 National Champion • 2x Unanimous All-American… pic.
twitter. com/l41agCK2ou — NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) March 31, 2026 Non-Premium Position You have often heard me talk about the importance of drafting a player at a premium position when selecting inside the top 10. Quarterback, wide receiver, offensive tackle, EDGE and corner back are the five positions that are deemed “premium” in the NFL.
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