Watch: ESPN special reveals how Cowboys filed Caleb Downs pick just in the nick of time

TL;DR

The Dallas Cowboys filed their selection of Caleb Downs with just 10 seconds left on the clock during the NFL Draft, following intense negotiations with the Miami Dolphins. The ESPN special 'The Pick Is In' showcases the frantic moments leading to the Cowboys securing the highly touted safety.

Key points

Dallas Cowboys filed Caleb Downs pick with 10 seconds left
Intense negotiations with Miami Dolphins led to the pick
ESPN special 'The Pick Is In' covers the draft night events
Trade involved moving from No. 12 to No. 11 overall
Jerry Jones personally informed Downs of his selection

Caleb DownsDallas CowboysMiami Dolphins

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones hands the phone back to his son Jerry Jr. (not pictured) as he and head coach Brian Schottenheimer visit in the team's war room during the opening of the NFL Draft at The Star in Frisco, April 24, 2025. (Tom Fox/Staff Photographer) A new draft night special on ESPN revealed how the Dallas Cowboys filed their selection of Caleb Downs in the first round with just 10 seconds left on the clock for that pick. As it turns out, the Cowboys had to do a great deal of haggling before making the pick, leading to the buzzer-beating selection of the highly touted safety. The special — "The Pick Is In," which aired on ESPN on Sunday night — detailed the back-and-forth between the Cowboys' draft room and that of the Miami Dolphins, who originally held the No. 11 pick. After the Cowboys' negotiations with the Browns to move up to No. 9 fell through, a scene that was also detailed in the special, Stephen Jones instead turned his attention to No. 11 and dialed up the Dolphins. Dallas' first offer — No. 12 overall and a fifth-rounder to move up to 11 — was a no-go from Dolphins' assistant GM Kyle Smith. Not enough, and the two sides hung up the phone, with Dallas content to wait a pick and hope no one else snuck in front of them to get Downs. "I really didn't think that Miami in this particular case was going to draft [Downs]," Jerry Jones told ESPN. "But I didn't doubt [for] a minute that somebody else would come over and trade Miami out of that spot and get him right out from under us. It wasn't a hard decision to go ahead and up the ante and make sure we had him." And wouldn't you know it, a moment or so later, the Dolphins called back. "You'll move back one spot, for a five?" Stephen Jones can be seen saying into the phone. "We'd do 177 and 180 if it's two fives. ... OK. OK we got it." After that, the clock was ticking on the Cowboys. The allotted time for the Dolphins' pick had already been mostly negotiated away, and Dallas still had to file both the trade and the pick. They filed the trade first, and by the time that conversation with the NFL was complete, the Cowboys had just 10 seconds to call the league draft room and make their pick for Downs. The special detailed the mad scramble, the buzzer-beating phone call, the hooping and hollering in the draft room after the Cowboys successfully got their guy, and the connection between Jerry and his new safety moments after. "Caleb, can you hear me?" Jerry says into the phone receiver over the din around him. "Caleb, this is Jerry Jones. You're a Cowboy!" Watch the frantic scene below.

Q&A

How did the Dallas Cowboys manage to draft Caleb Downs at the last moment?

The Cowboys negotiated a trade with the Miami Dolphins, finalizing the deal just 10 seconds before their pick was due.

What were the details of the trade between the Cowboys and Dolphins for Caleb Downs?

The Cowboys traded their No. 12 overall pick and two fifth-round picks to move up to No. 11 to select Caleb Downs.

What does the ESPN special 'The Pick Is In' reveal about the Cowboys' draft strategy?

The special details the intense negotiations and the last-minute decision-making that led to the Cowboys securing Caleb Downs.

Who is Caleb Downs and why is he significant to the Dallas Cowboys?

Caleb Downs is a highly touted safety drafted by the Cowboys, and his selection was crucial for strengthening their defense.

Watch: ESPN special reveals how Cowboys filed Caleb Downs pick just in the nick of time

TL;DR

Key points

Q&A

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