With the 2026 NFL Draft less than two weeks away, Dallas Cowboys fans are zeroing in on who the team will take at picks 12 and 20.
With two first-round picks for the first time since 2005, when they selected DeMarcus Ware (No. 11 overall) and Marcus Spears (No. 20 overall), the Cowboys have a very good chance at drafting two instant starters.
After being penciled in as a top-five pick during the college football season, Ohio State sensation Caleb Downs is now viewed to be an option at No. 12. It doesn't take much convincing to join the Downs bandwagon, but Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com gave fans good reasons to want Dallas to take the former Buckeye.
"In a class where versatility and position flex is evident among so many of the top players in the draft, Downs may be the best example of it in the secondary with his ability to wear multiple hats that can fit in any scheme. He's best when playing in the box and downhill, but still has the ability to cover deep parts of the field as well.
Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker has described the nickel player as someone who is "a corner sometimes, he is safety sometimes, he's a backer sometimes. Downs checks all of those boxes, and his instincts are what separate him from the rest of the pack. That kind of a presence on defense can have a lasting impact for years to come in Dallas.
Dallas Cowboys fans should be all-in on drafting Caleb Downs
Parker's scheme asks for defensive backs to line up in different spots. A cornerback can line up outside some plays, but might have to play inside in the slot for others based on matchups. For safeties, this means players they have brought in, like P.J. Locke, might line up deep for coverage, but have to come up to play in the box to stop the run.
With no more Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker still being a question mark heading into the final year of his contract, safety has been one of the many needs on defense for the Cowboys. The team already addressed one spot by adding Jalen Thompson in March. Signing Locke was more about adding depth than expecting him to be a starter.
Downs has the size and, more importantly, skills to be a starter for whoever drafts him. The Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year had two interceptions and finished third on the team in tackles. With Downs leading the secondary, Ohio State finished first in the FBS in total defense.
While fans might want Downs to be the pick, the Cowboys will still have to wait some time until they are on the clock. Many have speculated about the team trading up inside the top 10, but that has not been the trend in how the Cowboys treat the first round.
If Downs is there at the 12th pick, he should be the player Dallas is considering the most. And if trading up a few spots is what it takes to get him, then don't think twice.