COLUMBUS, Ohio — Representatives from National Football League teams holding early selections in the 2026 draft packed the sideline within the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on March 25, observing Caleb Downs’ progress through various drills during Ohio State’s professional showcase. Following the workout, with his arm draped around Buckeyes defensive coordinator and former NFL coach Matt Patricia, Downs addressed the very question those general managers had been pondering: Is it judicious to pick a safety in the initial ten spots?
“Ultimately, it’s about influencing the contest,” Downs stated. “Whoever influences the game most significantly should be chosen earliest — and I believe I accomplish this at the highest echelon.”
The first ten picks of the draft have traditionally served as a gauge of how the league values different positions — and which roles it considers most impactful on the field.
Unsurprisingly, quarterbacks — possessing the ball in their grasp on every offensive maneuver — have been selected in the top 10 more often than any other role this century, with 49 choices. Following them are offensive tackles (42 selections since 2000), who safeguard the quarterback, and edge rushers (38), who pressure the quarterback. Not far behind are wide receivers (37), who catch the pigskin, and cornerbacks (25), who provide coverage against them.
Excluding interior offensive linemen, no offensive or defensive position has been chosen among the top 10 less frequently than safeties, who customarily position themselves furthest from the quarterback before each snap.
Since the year 2000, merely eight safeties have been selected within the top 10: Roy Williams (2002), Sean Taylor (2004), Michael Huff (2006), Donte Whitner (2006), LaRon Landry (2007), Eric Berry (2010), Mark Barron (2012) and, most recently, Jamal Adams (2017).
This tally is less than defensive tackles (22 selections), running backs (18), and even off-ball linebackers (14).
Indeed, since the advent of the common draft era in 1967, only six safeties have been chosen within the top five: Berry, Taylor, Eric Turner (1991), Bennie Blades (1988), Rickey Dixon (1988) and Kenny Easley (1981).
Safety has long been one of the NFL’s most undervalued positions — in the draft process, in free agency, and in contract extensions. However, Downs’ adaptability and effectiveness are starting to challenge established perceptions. The dilemma facing teams picking early in this draft is whether Downs, an undeniable talent and one of the most comprehensive safety prospects in recent memory, represents the type of exception who merits a top-10 pick.
“When you make selections in the NFL, you’re constantly evaluating who scores touchdowns and who prevents touchdowns through coverage and pass rush,” commented Patricia, a long-serving New England Patriots assistant who also served as head coach for the Detroit Lions. “But beyond that, who embodies the spirit of your organization? Who are you bringing in that will represent your ownership, your club, everything you aspire to be as a squad?”
That constitutes one of the arguments for Downs, who, as Ohio State’s defensive leader and captain, functioned as a force multiplier, even without exceptional individual statistics (just six interceptions over three campaigns).
“He’s a football prodigy,” asserted former Buckeyes cornerback Davison Igbinosun, who is anticipated to be a Day 2 selection in this draft. “He can grasp and analyze football at a remarkably high standard.”
Downs was honored as the SEC Defensive Freshman of the Year at Alabama prior to transferring to Ohio State after Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban retired.
In Columbus, Downs achieved two-time unanimous All-American status as the cornerstone of a Buckeyes defense that conceded the fewest points nationwide (11.2) over the past two seasons. He secured a national championship in 2024, then was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year last season while also earning the Jim Thorpe Award, presented annually to the nation’s premier defensive back.
“Downs executes a very precise and effective game,” noted one NFL executive. “His Ohio State heritage works in his favor. He’s resilient, possesses excellent character, and has NFL lineage.” Downs’ sibling, Josh, plays receiver for the Indianapolis Colts, and his father, Gary, was a running back in the NFL.
Nonetheless, despite his success as a collegiate player, some NFL executives remain unconvinced that Downs merits an initial-ten selection. He did not perform the 40-yard dash at the combine. At 6-foot, 206 pounds, Downs also lacks the captivating physical attributes of other safeties who have been drafted in the top 10, including Taylor, who measured 6-foot-2 and 231 pounds, and Landry, who clocked a 4.35-second 40-yard dash at the combine.
“[Downs] is an outstanding football player,” stated a front office executive. “But are we certain he will be chosen as early as everyone suggests? Because the safeties who go that high, such as Sean Taylor and LaRon Landry, were physical marvels. Even those selected within the top 15, Minkah [Fitzpatrick] could operate as a corner or safety, Derwin [James] functioned like a versatile tool [James was picked 17th overall], Earl Thomas displayed elite quickness and range at free safety. … I’m not entirely persuaded [Downs] will be picked quite so early — but if he is, it will be due to his extremely low likelihood of error.”
In addition to favoring exceptional attributes and potential over dependability for top-10 picks, teams have also prioritized crucial positions that are more challenging to address outside of the draft. As Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach indicated, positional worth can be reflected in free agency. Elite edge rushers, for instance, “rarely become available.”
Referring to both Downs and Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles, also a potential top-10 pick, Veach observed that, “some of the finest players in this draft occupy non-premium positions. It’s difficult to find fault with their game footage. However, some of those more sought-after positions are tough to locate.”
As another NFL executive added, defensive units could typically manage by allocating fewer resources to safety when it primarily served as “an aerial defense position” — a final barrier against deep passes rather than a driving force of coverage schemes.
However, the safety position is also beginning to transform in a manner that could benefit Downs.
Flexible playmakers, such as the All-Pro Kyle Hamilton of the Baltimore Ravens and the hybrid safety Nick Emmanwori in Seattle, are being deployed in diverse ways that augment their value. Hamilton has demonstrated how a safety can excel as a coverage nullifier, pressure generator, and disguise element all at once — responsibilities that were once distributed among multiple roles.
“These types of players, they aren’t strictly a nickel or a safety,” stated new Ravens coach Jesse Minter, who will have Hamilton at his disposal after coaching James to a second-team All-Pro season as defensive coordinator with the Los Angeles Chargers last year. “They can be shifted around to impact the contest. When you employ a range of coverages and distinct pressures, you can position that individual where you desire them.
“Such players — they are formidable assets.”
Similarly, Patricia utilized Downs across the field last season as the focal point of a defense constructed on deception and adaptability. This approach commenced in the opening game against Texas quarterback Arch Manning, when the Longhorns failed to score until late in Ohio State’s decisive 14-7 triumph.
The Buckeyes surrendered only 18 completions of 20 yards or more throughout the year, the fewest in the nation. They also permitted just 2.94 yards per rush, ranking sixth best among Power 4 defenses.
Almost invariably, Downs was central to all of it.
“When you possess individuals who are eraser-type players in the defense, who can operate in numerous distinct capacities, who can be in the middle, be on the outside, be in the box, be in the deep area of the field,” Patricia remarked, “those players who are going to be with your team, your organization for 15-plus years, you acquire them whenever possible. And that describes Caleb.”