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Ohio State is expected to dominate the first round of the NFL Draft, but safety Caleb Downs could prove to be the biggest wild card of all.
The safety position is often one of the most difficult positions to evaluate and value on draft night, as is running back on the offensive end. If anyone understands the type of talent Downs can take to the next level, it’s FOX Sports senior college football analyst Joel Klatt.
He joined “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” Thursday afternoon to preview the draft and believes Downs could be one of the safest picks in his class. Klatt was even more optimistic about his upside, comparing Downs to a Hall of Fame safety.
“One of the compositions that I like, but that people avoid, is Ed Reed,” Klatt said. “The reason is, it’s one thing to be smart, do your job on the field and then write it on the board and really understand football. It’s another thing to allow those instincts, intelligence and preparation to come out on the field.”
Downs is viewed as a player with enormous upside, especially given his experience in three different defensive schemes throughout his time in college. He began his true freshman year at Alabama before transferring to Ohio State in 2024, where he won a national championship.
“They revamped the entire defense specifically to put Caleb in the middle of the field and allow his instincts to have more of an impact,” Klatt said. “This guy with this amount of instincts and this IQ has played on three different defenses in three years and is still the smartest player on the field.”
Klatt said what separates Downs from other prospects in the class is his ability to adapt quickly and continue to dominate at every stop.
“This guy made 100 tackles at Alabama for Nick Saban and goes to Ohio State and immediately became the best defender on the field for a national championship team,” Klatt said. “They built all the schemes around it.”
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.
His production and range only reinforced his reputation as one of the most instinctive defensive backs in the country, consistently impacting games in multiple phases.
“He can line up anywhere but then play any position from anywhere on the field, very similar to Reed,” Klatt said. “That’s something Caleb can do and I think that disguise aspect of his game is very valuable.”
For NFL teams looking for a modern defensive chess piece, Downs may be the safest thing this draft class has to offer.
