One of the reasons the Dallas Cowboys decided to trade away Micah Parsons ahead of Week 1 was that they needed to get younger and cheaper on defense. While we can debate whether Dallas should have moved on from their All-Pro pass rusher, there is no argument that the defense needs an influx of young talent. And adding two first-round picks should help them address that need.
The Cowboys are widely expected to use both picks to address their defense, which is understandable given their performance over the first six weeks of the 2025 season.
One player the Cowboys could target in Round 1 is Caleb Downs, the All-American safety from Ohio State. Given how big an issue the safety play has been for Dallas this year, it wouldn’t be hard to understand why he might be the top target for Dallas.
Caleb Downs should be a target for the Cowboys in the 2026 NFL Draft
Picking a safety in Round 1, especially inside the top 16, can be a risky proposition. It’s not the most valuable position and the hit rate is less-than-ideal over the last two decades. But Downs is a unique player with his ability to play all over the field. And given how many snaps he’s played over the last three seasons, he is a relatively safe prospect.
In a recent mock draft by Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus, he had the Cowboys selecting Downs with the No. 12 pick. That would make a ton of sense, especially if Dallas moves on from Donovan Wilson and/or Malik Hooker this offseason. Here is what he had to say about Downs and his fit with Dallas:
"Downs doesn’t grade as highly as he did in 2023 and 2024, but his grades are still very good this year, especially given everything that is put on his plate," Sikemma wrote. "He can play free safety, strong safety, slot defender and even linebacker. He’s a true do-it-all chess piece type of player. He deserves to be picked higher than this, but it’s just a matter of how high the league will draft a safety."
It’s worth noting that Sikkema had the Cowboys selecting another Ohio State defender later in Round 1, scooping up Kayden McDonald, a 325-pound nose tackle to pair with Osa Odighizuwa and Kenny Clark. Together, the additions of Down and McDonald would help transform the Cowboys’ defense from one of the league’s worst to a respectable unit.
The Cowboys don’t appear to care much about positional value as they’ve taken running backs, guards, and linebackers early in Round 1 over the last decade. Safety fits in that category, as well, but Downs’ ability to play multiple positions helps ease those concerns. Safeties tend to fall a bit in the draft, and as Sikkema mentioned, his talent says he should go much higher than this.
If Downs were to be available in Round 1 for the Cowboys, he might be too talented a player to pass up, especially given their need in the secondary. Keep an eye on him throughout the remainder of the college football season, as he could easily wind up being a top target for Dallas in the 2026 NFL Draft.