In only two weeks, the Washington Commanders will be selecting No. 7 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. Options are aplenty, but there's one prospect who fans have been salivating about from the start.
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. He's been compared to past and present stars such as Eric Berry, Derwin James, and Kyle Hamilton. Almost every draft expert seems to have him in Washington's range. And the Commanders could certainly use the help at safety.
Entering free agency, the position was arguably the team's biggest area of need. Quan Martin was a major disappointment last year, and Will Harris is not a long-term answer. The Commanders solved part of the problem by signing Nick Cross, which raises the question of whether Downs would still be a good fit.
The answer is unequivocally yes.
Logan Paulsen is completely sold on Caleb Downs on the Commanders
Former Washington tight end Logan Paulsen appeared on The Big Doug and Carmi Show with George Carmi and Doug McCray. The NFL veteran chimed in on Downs, discussing whether or not he would be redundant next to Cross.
"[Caleb] Downs, to me, I don't think is redundant in any way. I think the flexibility is important... and I think the thing that's most underrated about him is his mind. You watch him on film, his ability to communicate... having a guy that has that intelligence, I think it would be huge."
This cannot be overlooked when it comes to Downs. He's impressive enough as an athlete. He is a durable, hard-hitting physical force. But his true superpower is between the ears.
Downs has all of the winning intangibles you want in a long-term building block. Safety prospects like him don't come along all that often, and that shouldn't go unnoticed by the Commanders.
In college, Downs played free safety, strong safety, and even some nickel cornerback, excelling in all three roles. Cross's presence should not affect his role in the system in the slightest. He was brought to Washington to simply be an adequate starter, not a franchise cornerstone.
Downs is a franchise cornerstone. He can be special. He's likely to be the highest drafted safety since Jamal Adams in 2017, who was picked No. 6 overall. He's not a player you pass on because you have somebody else similar to him in the system.
The Buckeyes' standout has been a prospect to watch for the Commanders throughout the entire pre-draft process, and free agency should not change that. Downs can coexist with anybody.