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Not only was Ohio State safety Caleb Downs widely viewed as one of the top prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft, but the Dallas Cowboys clearly agreed. After unexpectedly falling to 11th overall, Downs has quickly become one of the draft’s biggest stories.
Downs has had a wide range of comparisons, but on Friday morning, The Herd’s Colin Cowherd didn’t hold back and saw the Cowboys as clear winners of the NFL Draft. It’s not just that Downs is a great player, but that he believes he is the steal of the draft.
Cowherd didn’t hold back in his program, even drawing a comparison between Downs and former Baltimore Ravens safety and Hall of Famer Ed Reed.
“You can’t do better than what the Dallas Cowboys did with their first pick,” Cowherd said. “I think he’s going to be the best Buckeye in the draft…I thought last year he was good enough to be in the top three of the draft. I think he’s an unbelievable player on Ed Reed’s level.”
Downs is coming off a strong junior season with the Buckeyes, recording 68 total tackles, 45 of them solo, along with two interceptions. He also forced two fumbles and added a sack, showing off his versatility all over the field.
He didn’t prove to be as athletic as many of his Buckeyes teammates, but Downs has built his reputation on his instincts, anticipation and elite football IQ. Despite playing an often underrated position, he became one of the most versatile defenders in the game.
That production and versatility has only reinforced the belief that he can immediately anchor a secondary at the next level.
“It was overshadowed because they [Ohio State] I have a couple monsters in Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles and they are just physical specimens,” Cowherd said. “The best football player is Caleb Downs. “He’s a great, great player, so Dallas hit an absolute home run.”
For Cowherd, Downs’ combination of production, instincts and versatility appears to make him a rare defensive addition capable of transforming a secondary from Day 1.
On a Cowboys defense that struggled last season without a consistent game-changing presence, Downs could step in and make a difference. If he lives up to expectations, Dallas could have landed one of the defining picks of the entire draft.
Selecting Downs wasn’t the only way the Cowboys approached their defense in the first round of the NFL Draft. They also selected UCF defensive end Malachi Lawrence with the 23rd overall pick after trading some picks with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Most draft analysts had viewed Lawrence as a possible second-round pick. FOX Sports draft analyst Rob Rang actually had Lawrence at No. 50 on his big board. But Cowherd understood why Dallas tried to get him.
“His next pick was a reach, but I’m going to defend the pick,” Cowherd said. “[Lawrence] It’s not for next season. When they traded Micah Parsons, the only reason they did it was so they could get four or five guys. Well, they traded Micah Parsons and now have Rashan Gary, Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark. They still have DeMarvion Overshown, which I like, but they beat him up but he’s good. This kid isn’t going to play much next season. Alright. “I can live with that.”
The Cowboys also continued to strengthen their defense throughout much of the draft. They selected Michigan running back Jaishawn Barham in the third round before adding Florida cornerback Devin Moore and Alabama defensive tackle LT Overton with the two fourth-round picks they acquired from the Eagles.
