One of the most talented players in the upcoming NFL Draft is Ohio State football safety Caleb Downs, who declared for the NFL Draft. However, despite his talent, Downs plays safety, and that position has lost some importance in the modern NFL. At the NFL Combine, Downs addressed that question directly and sought to differentiate how he could affect the game at the position in the NFL.
Caleb Downs spoke with the media at the NFL Combine and said that positional value should not be a factor; instead, it should come down to which player affects the game the most. He also made clear that he thinks that he is the best defender in the NFL Draft and probably the best player overall.
“It's not really [about] positional value,” Downs said. “It's who affects the game. If you affect the game in a lot of ways, that's what's most important.”
When responding to a question asking if he thinks he is the best, Downs said that he has that confidence every time he steps onto the field.
“I feel confident every time I step on the field,” Downs said. “If I were to say I walked on the field and thought anybody was better than me, yeah, that's not true.”
Last season, Downs was named the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year and also won the Thorpe Award. He was also a captain of the nation's best-scoring defense. Ohio State was allowing 9.3 points per game.
If Downs goes within the top five picks, he'll be the first player to accomplish that feat since Eric Berry was selected fifth overall in 2010. Since 2000, just six defensive backs have been taken within that range.
Downs spent his first season at Alabama before transferring to Ohio State after Nick Saban decided to retire, where he spent his sophomore and junior years. He helped Ohio State win the College Football Playoff championship in 2024. He finished his college career with 256 career tackles, 163 solos, 10 pass breakups, 1.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and six interceptions.
The versatility of Downs could also be the reason why NFL teams decide to draft him in the top five, especially given how athletic he really is.
