Cowboys could end up with the draft's best defensive player if rumors are true

With the 2026 NFL Draft less than a month away, everyone is trying to figure out how the first round will unfold. For the Dallas Cowboys, whose first pick is at No. 12 overall, they will be at the mercy of other teams.

While Dallas will have a list of prospects it wants, the available players will all depend on what happens in the 11 picks before the franchise is on the clock.

One player who surely has to be high on the Cowboys’ board is Caleb Downs from Ohio State. The All-American safety could be a transformative piece for a defense that needs a lot of help, but that’s also why fans don’t think he’ll make it to Dallas. Many people consider Downs the best defender, and arguably the best overall player, in the class. Players like that are typically a lock to go in the top 10.

However, NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah recently revealed that may not be the case for Downs. In an appearance on 105.3 The FAN, Jeremiah said that he thinks there’s a legit chance that the safety is available for Dallas at 12.

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"I think he's [Downs] more likely to go 10-20 than go in the top 10."

Daniel Jeremiah says Caleb Downs could fall to the Dallas Cowboys at pick No. 12

Jeremiah explained that while Downs is clearly talented, some factors at play could result in him falling out of the top 10. One of those factors is that safety isn't as valued as other positions.

Jeremiah pointed to Derwin James (No. 17), Kyle Hamilton (No. 14) and Nick Emmanwori (second round) as recent examples of how positional value can push elite safeties down the board.

Additionally, while Downs is the top-ranked safety for most analysts -- including Jeremiah -- he noted some teams prefer Toledo’s Emmanuel McNiel-Warren and Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman.

With the top 10 expected to be dominated by Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, edge rushers, offensive linemen, Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles, and possibly a wide receiver, Jeremiah can envision Downs landing in the 10–20 range.

While that would be surprising, the Cowboys would absolutely love it. NFL scouts have been raving about Downs since he was a freshman starter for Nick Saban at Alabama. He's arguably been the best defensive player in the country from his first snap with the Crimson Tide.

In his three collegiate seasons -- one at Alabama and two at Ohio State -- the safety proved to be everything a team wants in a defensive leader, on and off the field. If everyone picking before Dallas wants to overthink things, the Cowboys would surely welcome it.