Caleb Downs ready to make teams pay for passing him by in the draft
Dallas Cowboys' first-round pick Caleb Downs appears motivated to prove teams wrong that passed on him in the 2026 NFL draft.
The Dallas Cowboys hit a home run when they selected safety Caleb Downs in the 2026 NFL draft. Labeled as a top player in the draft because of his instincts and impact, the Cowboys lucked out getting him with the 11 th overall pick because of perceived positional value. The team got the player they coveted, and a steal, as 10 other NFL teams (including the Miami Dolphins ) passed on a chance to pick one of the cleanest prospects in the draft.
In the moment, it was not lost on Downs, who felt like he should have been selected higher. Downs’ reaction is of someone who's ready to make those teams pay for not drafting him. Caleb Downs the competitor: "All the teams that passed up...
URGH! " pic. twitter.
com/EKmvvy1R63 — Bobby Belt (@BobbyBeltTX) April 30, 2026 Many players use their draft slot as motivation in showing teams what they missed out on. Cowboys fans will never forget as wide receiver Randy Moss, who was expected to be drafted by the team in the 1998 draft, was bypassed in favor of defensive end Greg Ellis. And almost every chance Moss got to play the Cowboys, he would dominate them, starting with the three-catch, three-touchdown, 163-yard performance during the 1998 Thanksgiving game between the Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings .