Does Caleb Downs have a knee injury? Ohio State safety refutes rumor ahead of NFL draft

Caleb Downs doesn't play a premium position and he's entering the NFL draft with a possible knee injury. But he's so good it might not even matter . The former Ohio State safety by way of Alabama is projected as a fringe top-10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.

Downs, who didn't miss any time with the Crimson Tide or the Buckeyes due to knee issues, has been flagged as having a partially torn meniscus and a degenerative ACL. REQUIRED READING: NFL mock draft: 5 scenarios for top 10 picks after Giants big-ticket trade Those claims, however, have been largely unsubstantiated, with Downs himself seeming confused by the source. "Nothing," Downs told media in March when the injury was initially reported.

"I mean, really, they already answered it. Pat McAfee put out a statement about it. That’s not what my medical says, so it is what it is.

I don’t really know who gave him that information, whoever that dude is. But it is what it is. I’m just gonna continue to do me.