How high will Downs go in the draft?
Chris Simms breaks down Caleb Downs' potential landing spots in the 2026 NFL Draft, discussing why the Ohio State product can go in the top 10 despite playing a non-premier position.
Video Transcript
Turner back from 1991 Yeah, Turner.
Yes Right?
I- From Al- Yeah He got drafted by- The Cleveland Browns Coach, yeah, sorry, by Coach Saban and, uh- Right Coach Kochanowicz.
But look, you So you, you, you really, like n- most people- I'm a student of the game.
Okay.
Honestly.
Okay.
Uh- Do you know who he is?
I do not.
Well, but he, I don't, I don't- He's a good student.
That, that wasn't as entertaining as the Texas player who didn't know who you were and then came back and apologized- because he didn't recognize you from the photos he had seen- Yeah at the facilities.
It was Michael Taff.
My, yeah, my buddy.
Tass?
Taff.
Taff.
Yeah.
All right, s- so Caleb Downs is the number one prospect at safety, that's a given.
I've seen different things about when he'll be on the board.
Like, you know, there was a thought when we talked to him, top five.
And here's the problem, when you have 10 guys who are regarded as top five, five of them aren't going in the top five.
Yeah, exactly.
So, so where do you think he's gonna go?
Yeah.
Well, he, he's definitely one of the best players in the draft.
And I think one of the things that's really interesting about the draft is a little, as pertains to this conversation, one, we don't see safeties drafted in the top 10 all that much, and three of the maybe top 10 players in the draft are, and maybe three of the top five or six really, play positions that are not valued as much in the NFL, Mike, right?
With Caleb Downs at safety, Jeremiah Love at running back, and Sonny Stiles at middle stand-up linebacker for Ohio State, those are posi- good positions usually the league goes, "Wait, we don't like to draft them in the top five, the top six."
But man, I mean, Jeremiah Love, would I be shocked if he went off the board at three to the Cardinals or four to the Titans?
Absolutely not.
The Giants, the Browns, the Commanders, I mean, yeah, safety play there.
I mean, Caleb Downs is gonna go off somewhere, I would think, in the, the top 12 picks.
But again, the safety position's odd.
I can still remember the Derwin James draft.
I say this all the time.
I the teams I talk, Derwin James is one of the five best players in the draft.
Derwin James might be a top three player in the draft.
Derwin James.
Then the draft comes and it's like, wait, we need a tackle, we need a pass rusher.
Oh, the quarterbacks.
And all of a sudden it's like, wait, Derwin James is on the board still at pick 18?
And so that's what happens at safety sometimes.
But Caleb Downs is phenomenal football player that's gonna make somebody better on defense, that, there's no question about that.
Well, absolutely, and he definitely is a student of the game.
We won't hold it against him that he didn't know who Chris is.
I won't.
That's a next level student- Chris and I are gonna take a break if you know average ass Chris Simms as a quarterback.
That's next level
