Caleb Downs NFL Draft 2026 Scouting Report for Dallas Cowboys S

The Dallas Cowboys selected Ohio State S Caleb Downs with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

Caleb Downs is the single best prospect for the 2026 draft cycle. With his experience in Matt Patricia's defense, he's going to hit the ground running for whatever NFL team drafts him.

Downs is a former 5-star recruit and transfer from Alabama after the 2023 season.

He was tapped as a unanimous All-American, Big Ten Conference's Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year, and all-Big Ten in back-to-back seasons after being named the Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Year after his 2023 campaign.

The award list is long and deserving for the former Buckeye as he projects to be a plug and play starter in any defense he's drafted to. He'll raise the floor and ceiling of any defense.

Dan has covered the Kansas City Chiefs and the NFL Draft since 2019 while contributing for RGR Football. Most recently, he spent the 2025 draft cycle at The Draft Network and is entering his first season in B/R's Scouting Department.

Highlights

Caleb Downs Highlights

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Scroll down for the complete scouting report.

Where He Wins

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— Understands how best to use his abilities with body positioning and physicality.

— Sees route concepts unfold and matches them with the quarterback's eyes to break on routes.

— A great communicator in the secondary when it comes to passing of routes and lining up the defense.

— Versatile skillset to succeed wherever a defense needs him, making him the ultimate chess piece.

— Athleticism to smoothly transition from zone to running in man coverage and changing direction.

— Quick to trigger on run plays downhill and create negative plays for the offense.

—Will be one of the smartest players on the field each and every time he steps on it.

Areas of Improvement

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— Will get locked into man coverage at times and plays the receiver instead of looking for the football.

— Adjusting pursuit angles and running through tackles to not fall to the ball carrier's ankles.

— Show more from a single-high skillset with speed and range moving backward. The instincts are there, but seeing more proof of concept would help.

Grade, Rank and Pro Comparison

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GRADE: 9.2 (Pro Bowl Player — 1st Round)

COMPARABLE GRADE: CB Travis Hunter, Colorado (9.2 in 2025), Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame (8.9 in 2022)

OVERALL RANK: 1

POSITION RANK: S1

PRO COMPARISON: Eric Berry

Measurables and Testing Data

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Height: 5'11⅝"

Weight: 206

Hand Size: 9½"

Arm Length: 30¼"

Wingspan: 73¼"

40-Yard Dash: N/A

10-Yard Split: N/A

Vertical: N/A

Broad: N/A

3-Cone: N/A

Shuttle: N/A

Bench: N/A

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