Thousands of fans had their eyes set on the 2026 NFL combine.

Unfortunately, for the Ohio State Buckeyes star, safety Caleb Downs was flagged with multiple injury reports.

Daft on Draft’s Corey Kinnan reported this news, saying, “Nobody expected him to test this week anyway, so it flew a bit under the radar. However, I was told that Downs was flagged with a partially torn meniscus this week."

Caleb Downs has continuously been hailed as one of the top three draft picks this offseason. He has had stellar performances at Ohio State, recording 163 solo tackles, 12 pass deflections, and six interceptions. 

There is no doubt that the Thorpe Award-winning safety will command a high position at the draft this year. A small wrench was thrown in the works, however, when reports of his injury were released.

Despite the injury reports, however, top analysts, including ESPN’s Jordan Reid projects Downs to be a top pick in the draft.

Is Caleb Downs a realistic draft for the Cowboys?

While the Dallas Cowboys focus on revamping their defensive line, they have several holes to plug, including that of a good safety.

The Cowboys hold the 12^th pick in the first round, which means there would be several obstacles if they want to draft a top prospect like Downs.

Currently, Jordan Reid projects that Downs could go to the Washington Commanders at number seven. Another option is the Cincinnati Bengals at number ten, who are also working on finding a good safety.

If by some chance Downs is still undrafted by the time the Cowboys’ pick comes around, then the front office has some difficult decisions to make.

With linebacker Sonny Styles and safety Emmanuel McNeil Warren also up for grabs at this draft, there is no dearth of defensive talent. It will now be up to the Cowboys front office and Jerry Jones to see who they can draft at the number 12 pick.

You can read more at the Dallas Cowboys Community!

Written by

Shyam Hari

Edited by

Kalp Thaker