Just three weeks stand between the Dallas Cowboys and the start of 2026 OTAs. The offseason rolls on, but Dallas and the other 31 NFL franchises have made almost all of the significant moves they will make before the start of training camp.
Dallas’ roster looks significantly different than it did at this time last year, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. With that thought in mind, today we kick off a series ranking the top 10 players on the Cowboys roster for the 2026 season.
#10) Caleb Downs
Age: 21
Years
Pro: Rookie
NFL Awards: None
2025 Recap: After playing a key role on the eventual national champion Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2024 season, Caleb Downs entered the 2025 campaign with even loftier expectations. In what was undoubtedly going to be his final college season, the junior safety emerged as the centerpiece of Ohio State’s defense.
Week in and week out, Downs consistently drew attention as one of the most complete defensive players in college football. The safety was routinely matched up against top receivers and excelled at erasing explosive plays. His leadership and football IQ anchored a Buckeye defense that helped lead their team to an undefeated regular season.
Downs’ dominant junior year made him far and away one of the best defensive players in all of college football. The safety won the prestigious Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back and also won the Lott IMPACT Trophy, which recognizes excellence on and off the field. The awards didn’t stop there; Downs was named the Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year while also being recognized as a unanimous First-Team All-American.
Beyond the awards, Downs’ 2025 campaign dramatically elevated his NFL draft profile. NFL teams were already intrigued by his rare instincts and intelligence entering the year, but his elite level of play in his junior year answered any remaining questions teams may have had about his NFL potential. Downs was clearly an elite prospect, and his physicality in run support, ball skills in coverage, and advanced processing ability made him a sure-fire first-round pick come April.
2026 Preview: It’s still hard to believe nine teams passed on Downs, allowing the Cowboys to trade up and select him at pick 11. Throughout the draft process, Downs was seen as far and away the best fit of any defensive prospect in Dallas’ new-look defense. The 21-year-old is the perfect centerpiece for what new defensive coordinator Christian Parker wants this defense to become.
Parker’s scheme is built around three things: Versatility, disguise, and communication. Downs checks every one of these boxes. During his time at Ohio State, Downs showed he could line up deep, play in the slot, come downhill against the run, blitz off the edge, and erase tight ends in coverage. That kind of flexibility is exactly what Parker was looking for in a nickel and safety defender, making Downs an ideal fit for the role.
While he is just one player, Downs is the type of talent that can elevate the entire Cowboys’ defense. Dallas was one of the league’s worst teams at defending the pass last season, particularly when facing offenses that attacked the middle of the field and manipulated coverages. Downs will immediately help in this regard, and his abilities and high football IQ should help limit the number of lapses in coverage, something we saw time and time again from Dallas’ defense last season.
Downs enters his rookie year with extremely high expectations for a first-year player, but he is more than capable of living up to them. The rookie will be a foundational piece of Christian Parker’s defense, and Dallas’ new DC will use him in a variety of different ways to help slow down opposing offenses.
Prediction: Caleb Downs is named 2026 Defensive Rookie of the Year as his presence transforms Dallas’ defense into a top 15 unit.
