Safety Caleb Downs to test NFL's appetite for top-10 picks

Caleb Downs, a versatile Ohio State safety and two-time unanimous All-American, drew heavy early-draft interest at his pro day as teams debate whether a safety should be taken in the top 10.

NFL personnel crowded the sideline at Ohio State's pro day to watch safety Caleb Downs run drills and meet with coaches. Teams with early 2026 draft picks are questioning whether a safety belongs in the top 10 of the draft. Safeties have historically been rare top-10 selections, but Downs' college production and versatility have renewed the conversation. He served as a defensive leader for Ohio State and collected several national awards during his college career. Key details: - Caleb Downs is a two-time unanimous All-American, won the Jim Thorpe Award, was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and was part of Ohio State's 2024 national championship team. - NFL personnel from teams with early draft picks attended his March 25 pro day; Downs spoke about impacting the game and whether that merits a high draft selection. - Since 2000, only eight safeties have been selected in the top 10, and only six safeties have been taken in the top five since the common-draft era began in 1967. - Scouts and executives are divided: some praise Downs' processing, leadership and positional versatility, while others note he did not run the 40 at the combine and lacks the standout physical measurables of past top-10 safeties. - Coaches including Matt Patricia described Downs as an "eraser" type who was deployed across the field to affect coverage, run defense and disguise. Summary: Caleb Downs' blend of tape, leadership and flexibility has prompted discussion about whether modern defenses will reward a safety with a top-10 pick; evaluators remain split between his consistent play and the absence of elite measurable traits. Undetermined at this time.