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The Dallas Cowboys and their fans love themselves like Caleb Downs, and quarterback Dak Prescott is no different.
“How professional he is, how calm he is; calm, but confident,” Prescott said of what stands out for him with Downs, whom the Cowboys selected with the 11th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, in an interview with The Dallas Morning News. “It’s contagious. You feel it. He’s a man who is sure of who he is.
“When you’re like that in this business, you know you can talk, you can express it. You can say things you believe in and age doesn’t really matter, because you know you’re doing the right thing.”
Downs, a consensus five-star recruit, spent his 2023 freshman campaign with the Alabama Crimson Tide, tallying 70 solo tackles, the most in the SEC. Following the retirement of Alabama head coach Nick Saban, Downs transferred to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2024 and was part of a Buckeyes team that won the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Then last year (2025), he was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Downs, a two-time All-American, had two interceptions in each of his three seasons on the college scene.
“He’s a guy that’s a leader just by the way he carries himself and the way he approaches it,” Prescott said of Downs. “I know he’s leading that rookie class, but he understands the way the locker room works and what it means to earn the veterans’ trust and respect. He’s a humble kid who comes in there every day, calm and hardworking.”
Downs was one of two first-round picks by the Cowboys, who moved up one spot to secure Downs at the No. 11 pick and moved back three spots to ultimately take UCF Knights defensive end Malachi Lawrence with the No. 23 pick.
As for Prescott, the four-time Pro Bowler is entering his 11th season as center for the Cowboys, who have missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons. Last year, Prescott totaled 4,552 passing yards, 30 passing touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a 99.5 passer rating while completing 67.3% of his passes.
