Caleb Downs
is one of the top safeties in the 2026 NFL Draft class, and analysts expect him to be the first at his position taken in the first round. But if the New York Giants
take him at No. 5, it would mark a full-circle moment not just for the former Ohio State star, but for his father, Gary Downs, as well.
“It would be a blessed feeling, especially because my dad went there and he got drafted there. It would be awesome. But I mean, it would just be another challenge,” Downs said ahead of the draft in Pittsburgh
.
Caleb’s father, Gary, was a running back who spent his collegiate career at NC State. The Giants selected him in the third round of the 1994 NFL Draft with the 95th overall pick.
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Across six NFL seasons, Gary Downs appeared in 70 games as a depth running back. He rushed for 149 yards while also contributing as a pass-catcher with nine receptions for 66 yards. After his playing career, he transitioned into coaching at the high school and college levels through 2021.
Though his father’s NFL career was brief, the 53-year-old will now watch his son hear his name called this week. Whether the Giants select him at No. 5 or later remains uncertain. If New York drafts Caleb, he and Gary would join a select group of father-son duos to play for the same franchise.
It’s a script the league has seen before. Steve DeOssie played for the Giants from 1984 to 1993 and was part of the team that won Super Bowl XXV. Years later, his son Zak DeOssie spent over a decade with the franchise from 2007 to 2019. They became the first father-son duo to win Super Bowls with the same team.
A similar path played out with Ed McCaffrey, who was part of a Super Bowl-winning team, and his son Christian McCaffrey
, now a key piece of the San Francisco 49ers
offense.
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The pattern continues elsewhere. Joey Porter won Super Bowl XL with the Pittsburgh Steelers
, and his son Joey Porter Jr. is now part of the team’s secondary. From Jeremiah Trotter and Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
with the Philadelphia Eagles
to Terrell Owens and Terique Owens with the 49ers, the league has seen this pattern for years.
Whether Caleb Downs and Gary Downs add their names to that list is something that will unfold this week.
The Giants have two chances to draft Caleb Downs on April 23
The Giants’ secondary already features two solid safeties in third-year Tyler Nubin
and $45.3 million addition Jevon Holland
. Nubin finished the 2025 season with 78 total tackles, 49 solo tackles, and seven tackles for loss. Holland, meanwhile, added 62 total tackles, 38 solo tackles, and one interception.
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Still, after another bottom-10 finish for a defense that has too much talent to keep underperforming, the front office can’t rule out adding another safety. New York’s defense allowed 214.2 passing yards per game and managed just nine interceptions last season.
That’s where Caleb Downs enters the picture. Downs is coming off a 2025 season
with 68 tackles, two interceptions, one pass breakup, one sack, and two forced fumbles. Matt Miller of ESPN projects that the Giants could target him in the first round this week.
“Downs would be in play for New York’s first pick at No. 5, but based on what we’re hearing, the Giants are doing homework and having discussions to see which of their two targets — Jordyn Tyson or Caleb Downs — could conceivably fall to No. 10,” Miller wrote. “As a premium player at a non-premium position, Downs is more likely to slip, which is common for safeties in Round 1. In this scenario, the Giants would have to hope the Saints don’t select Downs. He is my No. 3 overall player.”
Historically, safeties rarely go that high. Only two safeties, Sean Taylor and Eric Berry
, have gone in the top five this century. So if the Giants prioritize a premium position at No. 5, the more realistic scenario would be targeting Downs at No. 10 if he’s still available. Downs has already spoken about how meaningful it would be to land in New York. Now it comes down to whether that possibility turns into reality.
