Scouting Report On Ohio State S Caleb Downs

Downs is playing free safety in a two-high look here. He recognizes the zone run the offense is setting up and puts his foot in the ground, closing about 15 yards in an instant to make the play. This is elite, elite run support from the safety position. Not just the physical ability on display, but the awareness and football IQ to diagnose the scheme that quickly and jump into action.

Here’s another example:

This time, Downs blows up a screen pass. He’s playing the inside slot receiver and recognizes the play design, not biting on the route fake and staying true to the target. As soon as his receiver goes to block, Downs drops him completely, getting underneath him and beating the offensive line to the spot, blowing up the play with a textbook tackle.

This next one might be my favorite rep Downs put on tape all of last year. He’s calling out the motioning receiver at the snap, getting the defense aligned, then has to fight over a route to make the tackle:

The tight end he has in man coverage initially goes to block, so Downs gets some depth so he can help on the outside receiver running a corner route. But he never takes his eyes off his assignment, and as soon as he sees that tight end release into a route, he gets over the receiver and the corner and flies up to make a stop in the backfield.

I can’t overemphasize how impressive these plays are. Downs is an insanely gifted athlete, but the work he’s put in to be able to read offenses, combined with his instincts, truly set him apart from other prospects. He assumed a ton of responsibility in Ohio State’s defense last year, and the coaching staff clearly trusted him to make the right reads.

As a tackler, Downs brings the boom, but he doesn’t sacrifice good technique to do so. He reliably wraps up the ball-carrier, bringing them down consistently and forcefully. Downs has some real strength and pop to him, as evidenced by this play:

Downs meets the running back in the hole and stands him up, bringing him to the ground with the help of some friends. This is a power scheme with a pulling guard and another lead blocker, but Downs doesn’t let the window dressing distract him. He stays true to his assignment, delivers a strong hit in the hole, and doesn’t get moved backwards.

Downs’ speed and fluidity translate to coverage, as well. Watch how easily he makes this play:

This is a Cover 4 zone look, with Downs responsible for the middle left zone around the hashmark. Because a go route on the outside takes the corner out of the play, Downs needs to carry the corner route to the sideline, which he does beautifully. Once the receiver goes deeper than the underneath zones, Downs mirrors him, making a great play on the ball to knock it away.

Here’s a look at what Downs can do in one-on-one coverage:

That is former Penn State TE Tyler Warren, a first-round pick in the 2025 draft. Downs has him in single coverage on a critical third down and plays it perfectly. Because it’s a third-and-long situation, he doesn’t need to worry about short catches — he’s trying to prevent throws to or past the sticks, as well as cut off opportunities for yards after the catch. He plays with enough depth to have flexibility, and when Warren commits to a route, Downs weaves through traffic to stay sticky and make a quick tackle as soon as the ball arrives.

Whether it’s in man or zone coverages, Downs excels. He’s great at manipulating quarterbacks with his eyes and positioning, baiting them into throws he’s ready for. He possesses excellent quickness and lateral agility to blanket receivers and tight ends alike in man coverage. His versatility makes him a defensive coordinator’s best friend, and while he’s mostly played in two-high schemes in college, he has the range to be a single-high safety in the NFL.

I have Downs as my top safety and a top-three player overall on my big board coming out of summer. There just isn’t much to criticize with his game. He can get a little overaggressive at times, but that’s maybe a handful of plays over the course of a season. If it weren’t for the league devaluing the safety position, he’d be a practical lock for a top five selection. Even still, he might push for the top 10.

Oh, and if all that weren’t enough, he’s a dangerous punt returner too: