Heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, superstar safety Caleb Downs was obviously viewed as one of the top defensive players on the board. That's what starting as a true freshman for Nick Saban and earning Second-Team All-American honors at Alabama and then moving on to Ohio State to earn unanimous All-American honors in back-to-back seasons will do for you.
Naturally, Cowboys fans are excited to see what Downs can bring to a Dallas defense that's been downright dreadful the past two years. And given some recent comments made by the Big Ten Player of the Year himself about being legit bored because teams were afraid to challenge him, that's only going to get fans fired up even more.
During an appearance on the GBag Nation show on 105.3 The Fan this week, Downs discussed his versatility as a defender, noting how that in addition to being able to cover the second and third levels of the field like a typical safety, he also enjoys getting into the mix near the line of scrimmage, which is why he racked up 16.0 tackles for loss during his three-year collegiate career.
"Yeah, I'll honestly say yes," Downs said. "The ball not coming your way. Maybe the talent may not be as good that week. You don't always play high-level talent every week in college, so that's something you have to get used to.
Sometimes those games, they can get boring just because the fact of you play a team that doesn't have as good of an offensive line, your D-line will pretty much make all the tackles. There wouldn't really be much to do those games. So, just get bored of not being in the action."
New Dallas Cowboys safety Caleb Downs sometimes got bored with the Buckeyes
As if the Downs hype wasn't already through the roof.
A safety isn't always going to get into the trenches all the time, and with Downs patrolling the secondary, opposing quarterbacks were typically afraid to throw the ball in his direction. And seeing as how those opposing QBs only tallied a collective 46.5 passer rating when targeting him, that's certainly understandable.
When team after team passed on Downs for whatever reason, all Jerry Jones had to do was send a couple of fifth-round picks to the Miami Dolphins to bump one spot, basically stealing the 21-year-old at No. 11 overall.
Now, Downs certainly won't have the luxury of opposing quarterbacks shying away from him, at least not at the start of his career, as he's obviously still an unproven rookie at the professional level and will need to show that he can be the same kind of difference-maker for the Cowboys that he was for the Crimson Tide and the Buckeyes.
And given the hoopla surrounding Downs, combined with the fact that he just now happens to play for the most popular and divisive team in the NFL, quarterbacks will unquestionably want to see if he can live up to the hype.
Downs definitely won't be bored at this next level, and he's clearly excited to get rolling. And the same can undoubtedly be said for Cowboys fans ready to see if he can make the impact that can turn the Dallas defense back into a unit that can help America's Team get back into the Super Bowl hunt.
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