Caleb Downs, SafetyHeight: 6’0”Weight: 206 lbsClass: JuniorSchool: Ohio StateHands: 9 ½”Arm length: 30 ¼”STATS
A former five-star recruit out of Mill Creek High School in Hoschton, Georgia, where he was the number one recruit from his state and the number one safety during the 2023 recruiting cycle. He was the eighth recruit that year and initially took his talents to Alabama for one season.
He played 890 snaps for Bama as a true freshman, with excellent grades from Pro Football Focus. He then entered the transfer portal after the 2023 season and went to Ohio State; he was the number one recruit in the transfer portal.
He played a total of 2,489 defensive snaps through his three seasons in college (final two at Ohio State). He helped the Buckeyes win the National Championship in 2024. He finished his college career with 96 STOPs and an 11.1% missed tackle rate, while aligning all over the defense for the Buckeyes in Matt Patricia’s exotic defense.
Downs won the Lott Trophy and the Jim Thorpe Award in 2025. He is a two-time Unanimous All-American (2024 & 2025), and he was a Second-Team All-American in 2023. He won Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2025, and was the Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year in 2024 and 2025.
He was First-team All-SEC in 2023 and was a two-time First-Team All-Big-Ten in his two seasons at Ohio State. His father, Gary, played college football at NC State and spent seven years in the NFL. His uncle was Dre Bly, who played 11 years in the NFL and his brother is Colts’ receiver Josh Downs.
Ohio State Buckeyes defensive back Caleb Downs catches a ball during Pro Day for NFL scouts at the Woody Hayes Athletics Center on March 25, 2026. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
StrengthsMassive NFL bloodlinesSolid NFL size w/ very good athletic ability Fluid player with smooth transitions – great feetDiscerns route concepts fantastically out of BUNCHExplosive downhill trigger with excellent short-area-quicknessVery good range – can play centerfieldElite spatial awareness at all three levels of the fieldElite eyes over the middle of the fieldElite buzz defender + route recognition Elite zone defenderVision on routes over MOF is eliteSees the field as routes manifest Eliminates throwing options in his area of operations Very good man coverage defender Understands how to maintain leverage and harassSqueezes receivers off red-line in man from slotElite safety in the box ability – destructive!Excellent run support defender with sure-anglesExcellent pursuit run support defender from the backsideGood at stacking & shedding to the front sideExcellent tackler from depth and near the LOSProvides good pop on contactBurst at the LOS to pressure or in run support is difference makingElite communicator with exceptional football IQVersatile alignments – excels all across the formation Elite leadership skills and competitive toughnessWeaknessesSolid NFL size, but not difference making for top-five consideration Lacks desirable length Very good athlete but same reason as aboveExcellent tackler but needs to wrap up more consistently Can run himself into crowded areas – could use some more patience when flying downhill near the LOS when there’s a pileup.Summary
Caleb Downs is an elite processing safety with elite field vision and reactive quickness to eliminate throwing windows as they’re opening. His ability to perceive offensive intentions, and react accordingly, is second to none.
Downs possesses an immediate ability to explode from a stagnant stance and disrupt routes underneath him, while also leveraging that short-area-quickness to trigger downhill to be an A+ asset in run support.
The addition of a player like Caleb Downs, due to his ability to fit the run from depth and operate around the line of scrimmage, will give a defense the ability to play lighter up front, enticing defenses to run the football.
Downs is reliable and can allow defenses to potentially steal gaps while preventing offensive explosive passing plays. His discernment and reactive quickness are weapons sharper than many players who operate the safety position at the NFL level.
Downs possesses elite spatial awareness and football IQ at all three levels of the field. He can impact the game deep with his eyes and range, while being a deceptive defender in zone to bait quarterbacks into mistakes over the middle of the field.
He also impacts the game well at the line of scrimmage, which keeps the offense honest – all while being excellent in run support. I understand taking a safety in the top five without elite size/AA is unconventional and risky, but Caleb Downs is an outlier I would be willing to bet on.
GRADE: 7.08
Nick Falato’s Draft Grade Chart | Nick Falato
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