NFL Draft profile and projection for safety Caleb Downs

Four Ohio State Buckeyes are in the top ten picks of many mock NFL Drafts, and we've already profiled three of them (Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, and Carnell Tate). The fourth is safety Caleb Downs. Downs transferred to Ohio State from Alabama after his freshman season, and he became a Buckeye legend by helping lead the team to its National Championship after the 2024 season. But how will that transfer to the NFL? Why are all of the NFL scouts so high on Downs, and just how high can he go in the draft?

Caleb Downs, Safety

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive back Caleb Downs (2) warms up during the NCAA football game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Nov. 1, 2025.

Draft Projection: high first round

Ohio State's own website says that Downs is regarded by many as the best defensive player in the country, and it's hard to argue with that. Sure, he's probably going to be the third Buckeye defender off the board on Thursday, but that's because of how absurdly good the linebacking corps was this past year. Downs could definitely go in the top five of the draft, but he also could fall to just outside of the top ten.

With Downs' speed, strength, and football instincts, he is already a potential elite defensive back in the NFL. And with his clear leadership abilities that he showed on the field, even as an underclassman in 2024, he is exactly the type of top player that NFL teams are looking for--and the type of player that sometimes gets drafted higher than expected (not that Downs has much higher to go above expectations). Downs will almost certainly be the first defensive back taken in this year's draft, and it would not be a shock to see him jump a few spots. It would, however, be a shock to see him slide any lower than midway through the first round. He's just that good.