Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Jordan Faison (6) against Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs (2) during the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Caleb Downs S Ohio State |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #2 ROLE: Zone Slot/Nickel Safety | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 01/23/2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.45 seconds (86%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 21.7 DOB: 12/10/2004 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #2 | |
| ROLE: Zone Slot/Nickel Safety | |
| Last Updated: 01/23/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| Forty time: 4.45 seconds (86%*) | |
| Age: 21.7 DOB: 12/10/2004 | |
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SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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| Overall Rating: | 92.0 / 100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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75% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| QB Rating When targeted: | 55.0 | |
| Tackling: |
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89% |
| Run Defense: |
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94% |
| Coverage: |
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99% |
| Zone: |
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99% |
| Man/Press: |
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89% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
1st - Top 5
Overall Rank:
#1
Position rank:
#1 (DB)
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| College Games: 42 College Snaps: 2354 | ||
ESPN RATING: 91/100
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247 RATING: 99/100
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RIVALS RATING: 6.1 (100%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Jaquan Brisker - Penn State |
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75% |
| Malachi Moore - Alabama |
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66% |
| Brian Branch - Alabama |
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64% |
Drafted: ROUND: 1 - Pick Number: 11 (DAL)
Draft Profile: Bio
Caleb Downs was born into football royalty. His father Gary spent time with the Giants, Broncos, and Falcons as a running back, while his uncle Dre Bly carved out a two-time Pro Bowl career at cornerback and collected a Super Bowl ring with the Rams. His older brother Josh currently runs routes for the Colts. The Downs family tree reads like a NFL personnel directory, and Caleb appears destined to add his own chapter to that legacy. Standing 6'0" and weighing 205 pounds, he arrived at Alabama in 2023 as the consensus No. 1 safety in America, a five-star recruit with a 6.1 Rivals grade and 0.99 rating from 247Sports.That true freshman season in Tuscaloosa set the tone for everything that followed. Downs became the first freshman in Alabama history to lead the team in tackles, racking up 107 stops along with 3.5 tackles for loss, two picks, and a forced fumble. The SEC coaches named him Freshman of the Year, and Pro Football Focus gave him first-team All-American honors before he had even attended his first college spring practice as a sophomore. He also found time to take a punt 85 yards to the house. When Nick Saban retired that offseason, Downs entered the transfer portal as its most coveted prize and landed in Columbus.
The move paid immediate dividends for Ryan Day's program. Downs earned unanimous All-American status in 2024 while helping the Buckeyes capture a national championship, finishing with 82 tackles, two interceptions (including one to seal the Cotton Bowl win over Texas), and six pass breakups. He also housed another punt return, this time a 79-yarder against Indiana that marked Ohio State's first punt return touchdown in a decade. His 2025 campaign brought the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's best defensive back, a ninth-place finish in Heisman voting, and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors. He departs Columbus with 257 career tackles, six interceptions, 12 pass deflections, and three forced fumbles across three seasons at college football's highest level.
Honors & awards
- 2025 Jim Thorpe Award
- 2025 Lott IMPACT Trophy
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Processes information at warp speed before the snap and after it, diagnosing route combinations and run fits faster than most safeties can identify the formation.
- Operates as a legitimate chess piece who can align in the box, split the field as a deep half defender, or match up with tight ends and slot receivers in man coverage without losing a step.
- Tackles with controlled aggression and textbook technique, breaking down in space with excellent balance and wrapping through contact rather than lunging or diving.
- Shows cornerback-level fluidity in his hips when transitioning from backpedal to drive, allowing him to mirror route breaks and stay in-phase against quicker receivers.
- Commands the secondary like a veteran defensive coordinator, relaying coverage calls and adjusting alignments with an authority that belies his age.
- Displays excellent ball-hawking instincts when playing zone, subtly manipulating quarterback reads with his eyes and body position before breaking hard on throwing windows.
- Brings physicality as a run defender, taking on blocks with sound pad level and working through contact to set edges or fill gaps without getting washed out of his assignment.
- Offers legitimate special teams value as a punt returner with vision, burst, and the ability to make the first man miss in space.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Occasionally sells out for the highlight reel hit instead of securing the tackle, leading to overaggressive angles that create missed opportunities in pursuit.
- Can get caught peeking too long in the backfield when playing zone, which opens throwing lanes to crossing routes that sneak behind his drop.
- Gambles for interceptions at times when the safer play is simply getting a hand on the ball and ensuring the incompletion.
- Struggles somewhat when climbing offensive linemen reach him at the second level, needing to improve his hand usage to disengage from bigger bodies.
- Most of his tape came in two-high shells, leaving some questions about his range and comfort operating as a true single-high free safety over the deep middle.
Scouting Report: Summary
Downs plays the safety position the way it was designed to be played in the modern NFL: with versatility, intelligence, and an ability to handle any assignment a defensive coordinator throws at him. He can drop into a deep half and take away half the field. He can rotate down into the box and play like an extra linebacker against the run. He can follow a tight end across the formation and blanket him in man coverage. That kind of flexibility is invaluable in a league where offenses constantly try to create mismatches through personnel and motion.The football bloodlines show up in his anticipation and feel for the game. He processes information the way his father and uncle did, recognizing concepts before they fully develop and putting himself in position to make plays. His communication skills are refined beyond his years, and he walks into any defensive meeting room ready to contribute from a mental standpoint immediately. He will need some time to adjust to NFL speed like every rookie, but his processing ability and instincts give him a significant head start on the learning curve.
Here is the deal: Downs projects as a Day One starter who could reasonably compete for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. His floor is a reliable, versatile starter who makes the players around him better through his preparation and communication. His ceiling is perennial All-Pro caliber and a defensive centerpiece for the next decade. The safety position does not typically command premium draft capital, but Downs is the type of prospect who transcends positional value discussions. He is a football player in the truest sense, and he will make whatever defense selects him significantly better the moment he steps on the field.
Caleb Downs percentiles vs other Safetys (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Caleb Downs (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
3.5
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
1.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.