Dak Prescott: Caleb Downs is ‘confident’ and a ‘leader’

Dak Prescott has loved what he’s seen from Caleb Downs during the Dallas Cowboys’ offseason workouts. While speaking with the Dallas Morning News, Prescott reacted to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones comparing Downs to the star QB.

“Just honestly, I can say in just the month, or whatever, I’ve been around the kid and watching the kid, hell, I think I take it as a compliment when those comparisons come around,” Dak Prescott said. What Prescott likes about Caleb Downs is his approach to the game.

“How professional he is, how calm he is; quiet, yet confident,” Prescott said. “It’s contagious. You feel it. He’s a man who’s sure of who he is. When you are that way in this business, you know you can speak up, speak out. You can say things you believe, and age doesn’t really matter, because you know you’re doing the right thing.”

Prescott added, “He’s a guy that’s a leader just by the way that he carries himself and the way he approaches it. “I know he’s leading that rookie class, but he understands the way that the locker room goes and what it means to earn veterans’ trust and to get their respect. He’s a humble kid that’s coming in there each and every day, quiet and grinding.”

Caleb Downs reveals how he fits in Cowboys

The Cowboys selected Downs in the first round (No. 11 overall) in this year’s NFL Draft. Downs spent the last two seasons at Ohio State and was a two-time unanimous All-American.

In 2025, Downs won the Lott Trophy and the Jim Thorpe Award after registering 45 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, two pass breakups, and two forced fumbles. In 2024, Downs helped Ohio State win the national title.

“I think it’s just being able to make plays in all facets of the game,” Downs said of how he fits in the Cowboys’ defense shortly after they drafted him, per Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com. “Whether that’s near the line of scrimmage or in the deep part of the field, I feel like I could do it all and it’ll be a great relationship to be able to do that with the Cowboys.”

As Downs gets ready for his rookie season, Prescott gears up for Year No. 11. Prescott looks to build on a 2025 season that saw him throw for 4,552 yards and 30 touchdowns in 17 games.