Ohio State safety Caleb Downs smiles during a game against Purdue. Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Panthers projected to pick Ohio State superstar Caleb Downs in 2026 NFL draft

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated May 26, 2025 8:50 AM ET

It's never too early to look ahead at the next NFL draft, especially when you're a team like the Carolina Panthers. They haven't had a winning season since 2017, so it's not a bad idea to consider what impact player they might be looking at in the next draft.

The order is yet to be determined, and there's a good chance the Panthers move down much further in the draft in 2026 thanks to a greatly improved roster in 2025. However, until records are set, they're stuck picking pretty high. In this case, PFN's early three-round mock has them picking sixth.

That's where they pick Caleb Downs, the Ohio State safety. The analysis noted that adding Princely Umanmielen and Nic Scourton on day two of the draft was good, but that their defense is still incomplete.

"You could make the case that Caleb Downs is the best overall player in college football entering 2025. He’s a well-built, highly intelligent defensive back with elite range, sharp processing, and positional versatility," it said. "He’s effective in coverage, disruptive against the run, and brings strong ball skills and effort as a downhill tackler."

This would give the Panthers the Ohio State Buckeyes' title-winning safety room. They picked Lathan Ransom in 2025 in the fourth round, and he figures to be a starter by year's end. Pairing him with Downs in 2026, hypothetically, would give the Panthers that very same duo.

However, is Carolina going to pick high enough to land such a player? They're better than they were last year and are unlikely to get off to a 1-7 start again this year, so they might not end up being the sixth-worst team in the NFL and won't get Downs.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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