2026 NFL Draft: Nick Saban reacts to Dallas Cowboys selecting Caleb Downs in first round

After the Dallas Cowboys selected Caleb Downs in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Nick Saban reacted with high praise for his former playmaker. He coached Downs at Alabama before his retirement.

Downs finished his career at Ohio State, where he spent two years as the centerpiece of the Buckeyes’ defense. He was a crucial part of their national title team in 2024 as he became an All-American with 82 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, a half sack and two interceptions, as well as six passes defended.

When he played for Saban in 2023, Downs had a career-high 107 tackles as a true freshman. But Saban pointed to who the newest Dallas Cowboy is a person while summing up what he meant to both Alabama and Ohio State.

“This is as fine a young man as you’re ever going to find to be a part of your team,” Saban said on the ABC broadcast. “He’s a great competitor, he’s got great character, he’s so instinctive as a player. He can play downhill, he can play in the box, he can play in the deep field, he can play man-to-man. This guy is a tremendous, tremendous person and competitor.

“And I tell you what, there’s only a few guys that I love more than this guy as a player on our football team. He did a great job and improved even more at Ohio State. And I’m going to give the Dallas Cowboys a little tip. His mama, in recruiting, made the best white chili I ever ate. You need to go there.”

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Caleb Downs

Throughout his college career, Downs was known for his football IQ both at Alabama and at Ohio State. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein said that helps him adapt to either man-to-man or zone coverages, making him a weapon on defense.

“Productive, high-effort safety with three years of starting experience in big games at Alabama and Ohio State,” Zierlein said. “Downs is an alpha who brings immense juice on each snap. He’s at his best when deployed near the line as a box safety or big nickel back. He’ll gamble a little bit as a run defender, but he makes more than enough disruptive plays near the line of scrimmage to make up for it.

“He’s fluent in man or zone over the first two levels and is rarely fooled by play-action or misdirection. While he’s quick to close and strike underneath, there are hints of caution that prevent him from making more plays on the football.”