The Cowboys went into the draft thinking their chances of landing Ohio State safety Caleb Downs were “a longshot.” Downs, though, was on the board for the taking at No. 11, and the Cowboys traded up one spot to draft a safety in the first round for the first time since 2002 when Roy Williams was the pick at No. 8 overall.
Owner Jerry Jones called Downs a player capable of being “a quarterback of the defense.”
Like Hall of Fame finalist Darren Woodson back in the 1990s, the Cowboys believe Downs can play safety, nickel and corner.
“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, via Tommy Yarrish of the team website. “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.”
The Cowboys have never won a Super Bowl without a Hall of Fame-caliber safety on their roster. They had Hall of Famer Cliff Harris on their roster for their two Super Bowl wins in the 1970s and Woodson for their three Super Bowl titles in the 1990s, though Woodson was a rookie in 1992.
“He’s a multiplier,” Cowboys vice president of player personnel Will McClay said of Downs. “He’s going to make other people better.”
The Cowboys gave up a team-record 511 points last season, ranking among the worst defenses in the NFL in most of the major categories.
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