August 31, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs (2) celebrates after sacking Akron Zips quarterback Ben Finley (10) during the first half of Saturday’s NCAA Division I football game at Ohio Stadium. Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Disp / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Will Raiders Take Opposite Approach to Next Year's Draft?

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Ezekiel Trezevant | Last updated May 21, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders are hopeful for a successful season this upcoming season. However, they are also hopeful thy can continue building out their roster under John Spytek. Brentley Weissman of Pro Football Network believes they will do precisely that in next year's draft.

"Las Vegas would be thrilled if the board fell this way. Caleb Downs is very likely to carry the highest non-quarterback grade in next year’s class. He is hyper-instinctual and one of the best overall athletes to play safety that we have seen in years," Weissman said.

"The addition of Downs would give the Las Vegas Raiders a true superstar in the back end of their defense. If you are a Raiders fan, you feel great about adding Brock Bowers, Ashton Jeanty, and Downs in three consecutive drafts."

According to the Chris Trapasso, believes Downs is the top defensive draft prospect entering the upcoming season.

"Downs is one of the genuinely rare recruits who instantaneously meets (or even exceeds) massive hype and rapidly morphs into a supreme NFL draft prospect. And, he's undergone said transformation at two blue-blood schools. The No. 8 overall recruit in the 2023 class -- and top safety -- per 247 Sports, Downs was one of the final recruiting home runs hit by Nick Saban at Alabama. And nobody knows defensive backs at the collegiate level like Saban," Trapasso said.

Trapasso noted that Downs played well at Alabama before transferring to Ohio State the following season. Downs being one of the top defensive prospects in the draft unfortunately means the Raiders would likely have to have another subpar season or trade up to get him.

"All he did as an 18 year old freshman was total 107 tackles with two picks and four pass breakups while wearing a variety of hats in the Crimson Tide defense. The post-Saban transition at Alabama led to Downs' transfer to Ohio State. During the Buckeyes' national title run, Downs made 82 tackles, with two more interceptions and six pass breakups. He, again, was everywhere," Trapasso said.

"At 6-0 and 205 with lightning-quick reflexes, range for days and Pro Bowl like tackling reliability, he enters the 2025 college football season as the best defender in the country and top defensive prospect for the 2026 class."

The Raiders could still use some help on the defensive side of the ball, after primarily focusing on the offensive side of the ball in this year's NFL Draft.

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This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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