Cowboys whose jobs are in jeopardy now that Caleb Downs is in town

Yahoo Sports3h ago13 min readOriginal source →

TL;DR

The Dallas Cowboys drafted Caleb Downs, expecting him to start immediately in a multi-positional role. This decision puts several current players' jobs at risk as Downs is a versatile safety and coverman.

Key points

Caleb Downs was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2026 NFL draft.
He is expected to start immediately in a multi-positional role.
Downs is a versatile player, effective as a safety and nickel coverman.
His arrival could threaten the job security of several current players.
The Cowboys have a history of expecting immediate contributions from first-round picks.

Caleb DownsTyler BookerTyler GuytonMicah Parsons

Cowboys whose jobs are in jeopardy now that Caleb Downs is in town

When the Dallas Cowboys drafted Tyler Booker in the first round of the 2025 draft, they did so with the expectation he would start right away. When the Cowboys drafted Tyler Guyton the year before, they did so with the expectation he would start right away. Dallas had the same expectations for first rounders Micah Parsons, CeeDee Lamb and many other who came before them.

Based on team history and this prospect's player profile, the Cowboys plan for their top pick in the 2026 NFL draft, Caleb Downs, to be a multi-positional starter on Day 1. Downs, a safety by trade, is also one of the most proficient nickel covermen in the draft class. Call him a nickel back, a slot corner, or a box player if you must, just don’t call him a traditional safety.

His ability to do it all in the secondary could spell trouble for more than just one current player, but rather an entire group.

First and foremost, Downs looks to displace the entire field of players competing for the nickel spot. Whether that’s Reddy Steward, Cobie Durant, Caelen Carson or anyone else, almost doesn’t matter at this point because Downs is plug-and-play starter in the nickel.

In base defense, Downs immediately fits into a variety of packages as a traditional safety. Capable of playing split in a 2-high look or alone in a single-high look, Downs can do it all and is intelligent enough to do it all by Week 1.