Cowboys Land 'Steal' Caleb Downs in New Peter Schrager NFL Mock Draft 2026 amid Latest Rumors

One of the best defenders in college football is projected to go to the Dallas Cowboys in the latest 2026 NFL mock draft from ESPN's Peter Schrager.

Schrager projected in his latest mock published Tuesday that the Cowboys will select former Ohio State safety Caleb Downs with the No. 12 pick.

"If he's on the board, he would be a steal at No. 12," Schrager wrote.

That would mark a drop for Downs from his projection on the latest Bleacher Report mock draft, which predicts him going to the New York Giants at No. 5.

Downs is listed as the top overall prospect on the Bleacher Report big board after helping Ohio State's defense finish the season as the only FBS team to hold opponents to fewer than 10 points per game.

How NFL teams rank Downs' overall impact on their defense will influence whether they are willing to use a high pick on a safety. No NFL team has drafted a defensive back within the top five since Eric Berry went to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2010, per ESPN's Ben Baby.

The Cowboys have spent the offseason so far working to retool what was one of the least effective defenses in the NFL last season, including by hiring new DC Christian Parker and signing Rashan Gary and Otito Ogbonnia to the defensive line.

B/R NFL scout Daniel Harms described Downs as a player with a "versatile skillset to succeed wherever a defense needs him, making him the ultimate chess piece." If he is still available by the time the Cowboys first get on the board on April 23, Downs could be an immediate game-changer for Parker's unit this fall.