Caleb Downs Says He's NFL Draft's Top Defender, Where Does OSU Star Rank on B/R Big Board?

Ohio State safety Caleb Downs has no doubt that he is the best defensive player in the 2026 NFL draft class.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday at the NFL scouting combine, Downs said he would be lying if he "thought anybody was better than me" on the field.

"I feel confident every time I stepped on the field," Downs said. "If I would say I walked on the field and thought anybody was better than me, yeah, that's not true."

Downs might be underselling himself by only limiting his ranking to include defensive players. B/R's NFL scouting department even took things a step further by ranking the two-time All-American as the top overall player in this year's class on its most recent big board.

While there are very few doubts about Downs' ability to impact games at the NFL level, he will be fighting against draft history because teams have not historically put a high premium on the safety position.

There have only been three safeties drafted in the top five. Eric Turner is the highest-drafted player at the position when he was selected No. 2 overall in 1991 by the Cleveland Browns.

Sean Taylor (2004) and Eric Berry (2010) are the only other top-five picks at the position. They both went fifth in their respective drafts. Jamal Adams is the only safety to be a top-10 pick since 2016.

One thing that could work in Downs' favor is the impact that Nick Emmanwori made for the Seattle Seahawks in his rookie season.

Emmanwori, the No. 35 pick in the 2025 draft, was credited with helping to unlock the full potential of head coach Mike Macdonald's defense because of his ability to line up in pass coverage or move down into the box.

Downs isn't quite as big as Emmanwori, who is listed at 6'3" and 220 pounds, but he served a similar jack-of-all-trades role for Ohio State's defense over the past three seasons.

The 21-year-old recorded 16 tackles for loss, 12 passes defensed and six interceptions in 44 games for the Buckeyes.

There are no shortage of teams picking early in the draft looking for help in the secondary, including the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, New York Giants and Cincinnati Bengals.