The Dallas Cowboys landed their dream player in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and they only had to move up one spot to do it, trading up to the No. 11 pick to select safety Caleb Downs. The former Ohio State phenom is arguably the best football player in the 2026 class, and he heads to Dallas with incredibly high expectations.
If anyone understands those expectations, it’s Micah Parsons. While the standout defender is no longer with the Cowboys, he was selected by the team with the 12th-overall pick in the 2021 Draft. On Thursday, Parsons spoke with Downs via Bleacher Report after he was picked, and told him how he can meet expectations in Dallas.
The message from Parsons was simple: The pressure that will be placed on Downs is a privilege; all the young defensive back needs to do is come in and be the elite player that he is.
"You're here to start and be the guy. You ARE the guy."
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) April 24, 2026
Micah kept it real with Caleb Downs about repping The Star 💯 pic.twitter.com/FxuVm9bTpV
Micah Parsons encourages Caleb Downs to go be the guy for the Dallas Cowboys
The current Green Bay Packers defender instructed Downs not to wait around for permission to be great. While the safety is just entering the NFL, Parsons told him that he wasn’t drafted to wait his turn — he was selected to immediately be the guy, so Downs has to join the franchise with that mindset.
The 2026 pick was receptive to Parsons’ words, which is good, because the former Cowboy is right. While Downs is a rookie who will have to listen to vets and earn his way in the league like every other player in the NFL, Dallas is hoping that he can be a catalyst for a culture change on the defensive side of the ball under new coordinator Christian Parker.
The Cowboys have been abysmal defensively in recent years, and that has single-handedly kept the team from contending for a Super Bowl. Playing all over the secondary, Downs is expected to be a change agent for the unit with his play and leadership.
There’s reason to believe that it won’t take him long to accomplish that task. The safety was a freshman starter for Nick Saban at Alabama, and was already considered a pro-ready player. That continued to be the case during his two seasons at Ohio State over the last two years, and now it’s time for him to thrive with the Dallas Cowboys.
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