In an interview on The Draft Show following the Cowboys’ selection of Downs, Cowboys national scout Ross Wuensche said one of the things that made Downs different was that “he erases the middle of the field.”
You’ll see that more than once in this study that between the hashes, Downs can make all kinds of plays chasing the ball or chasing a ball carrier. In this case, it’s the latter. Lined up on the opposite side of the field, Downs looks to have eyes on the quarterback while Miami’s receiver is going in motion the whole way. He slowly starts to drift towards the direction of the motion man as the play begins to develop, and before the ball even hits the receiver’s hands, Downs is already well on his way towards him.
At 6′, 206, Downs isn’t necessarily the big, heavy-hitting built safeties like you see around the league in some places like a Derwin James or Nick Emmanwori. That said, he still packs a punch, and lowered his shoulder right into the arms of the receiver to pop it free and force a fumble. Whether it be from a nickel or safety alignment under Parker, Downs can cover plenty of ground and make things difficult for teams looking to move the ball over the middle.
Making plays at the line of scrimmage