There is a real bias when it comes to defensive backs in the Defensive Rookie of the Year award voting. For whatever reason, voters tend to shy away from defensive backs and give the award to front-seven players. Since 1991, there have only been five defensive backs to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, and the last one to do so was Sauce Gardner in 2022.
However, safety is the position that gets snubbed more than any other position. In the history of the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, which started in 1967, there have only been two safeties to win the award (Erik McMillan, 1988, and Mark Carrier, 1990). That is the entire list.
The only reason why those two players took home the award is due to the fact that they combined for 18 interceptions and seven forced fumbles during their rookie seasons. Unless a safety is intercepting nearly 10 passes, they aren’t getting a sniff of the DROY honors. But that could change in 2026 with Caleb Downs.
Caleb Downs could end safety drought with DROY award
It’s been 36 years since Mark Carrier won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award at safety, and in most years, safeties aren’t even considered. Last season was one of the few exceptions, as Nick Emmanwori finished second with seven first-place votes.
But Caleb Downs is currently among the favorites to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award and it’s not hard to see why. He was among the consensus top players in the 2026 NFL Draft, and he landed with the biggest franchise in sports: the Dallas Cowboys.
In a recent article by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, he spoke with several NFL decision-makers, coaches, and scouts and asked them to predict who will win the top awards this season.
Not surprisingly, several NFL higher-ups believe that Downs will be the first safety to win the DROY award since 1991 because of how he will be used in Christian Parker’s defense. Here is what one NFL executive had to say about Downs going into the 2026 season:
"He will play in the middle of the defense, so he will probably have some ball production and high tackle numbers. And if he helps turn around Dallas' defense, he'll be looked at as a catalyst."
Downs could have the counting stats needed to win DROY
The Defensive Rookie of the Year award can tend to be a numbers-based award, as voters do care about tackles and ball production. They aren’t diving too much into the advanced stats like pressures, win rates, or yards per target allowed. Instead, they want to see stats. Luckily for Downs, the Cowboys are likely to keep him in the box on a lot of snaps, so that he can pile up those counting stats.
But the award is often a narrative-based award too. That is how someone like Jared Verse won the award in 2024 with big sack totals. He was part of the defensive turnaround in Los Angeles, and that’s why he ended up taking home the honors.
If Downs can be part of a big improvement by the Cowboys on defense, he’ll certainly get a ton of the credit. And if he makes a few big plays on national TV, you can basically giftwrap him the award right now. Downs is in a fantastic position to take home the honors, and the Cowboys need him to be a superstar right away if they want to have any hopes of being a contender in the NFC.
Downs isn’t currently the favorite to win the award, but he’s not far off, either. Expect Downs to be in the conversation for DROY honors all season long and, hopefully, finally break the long safety drought when it comes to the award.
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