Ohio State Safety Caleb Downs has Once-in-a-Lifetime Speed

I’ve never seen a safety with the kind of speed Ohio State’s Caleb Downs has.

⎯ 43 years of watching NFL football, and I’ve never seen it.

Downs can flat-out fly.

And because of that, he’s an elite prospect. NFL quarterbacks will not be able to read what he’s going to do before the snap. During my 2024 film study, I saw him blitz once from his safety position, and he almost reached the quarterback before he could throw. I saw him cheat up by the line of scrimmage, another time, looking like he was going to blitz, but because of his speed, he was able to get out of that and get back in coverage in time after the snap.

There are a couple of things I wish he were better at, but that speed…

Downs creates a distinct game-day advantage.

No coincidence

The National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes had the No. 1-ranked defense in college football last season (12.9 points per game), and the thing that struck me most watching their defense was how much they got out of their safeties, especially Downs.

Downs was here, and he was there. He was everywhere. He especially loved to slice in out of nowhere and cut down anyone trying to run with the ball at or behind the line of scrimmage (2024: 7 Tackles for Loss per StatMuse). NO FEAR OF RUNNING BACKS OR THEIR SIZE.

Having a safety with this kind of speed kills the threat of big plays.

⎯ Downs can fly sideline to sideline to cut off running backs or receivers heading for the end zone.

And that makes a huge difference and forces opposing offenses to make more plays to get into scoring position.

Pass coverage mixed review

Downs has the mentality of a physical man-to-man lockdown cornerback who is listed as a safety.

He excels in man coverage when lining up at nickel (third cornerback who covers the slot inside receiver). Man coverage is when a defender is responsible for covering a specific offensive skill position player on a passing play. He’s tenacious. Downs is like a Piranha covering slot receivers and tight ends. He takes those targets away.

However, playing back in centerfield at safety in zone coverage intermediate-to-deep (+19 yards), he was average-looking. Zone coverage is when a defender is responsible for covering a certain area of the field. He tended to end up around the ball a lot after the damage had been done.

Only one

Since I jumped back into evaluating, I’ve only given one final first-round grade to a safety (2022 Jalen Pitre). He went No. 37 to the Texans. I thought Malaki Starks had a chance at Georgia. In 2023, I gave his game film a first-round grade, but his disappointing 2024 film earned him a final second-round grade. (Starks was selected by the Ravens with the 27th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.)

Downs cuts it at this point in the process. I see him in a similar role as Pitre.

#2 Caleb Downs 6-foot-0, 205 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2025 Summer Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a First-Round prospect as of July 14, 2025

2024 game film evaluated: Akron, Western Michigan, Marshall, Michigan State, Iowa, Oregon, Nebraska, Penn State, Purdue, Northwestern, Indiana, Michigan, Tennessee, Oregon, Texas, and Notre Dame (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

Note: I noticed one penalty called against him in 2024.

Two interceptions and 6 passes defended in 2024

NFL bloodlines

2026 NFL Draft Scouting Report

High-impact non-traditional safety prospect with a reluctant streak. Positional versatility. Defensive wildcard. High football IQ. Disciplined. Only fooled once by misdirection. Instinctual. Athletic. Not a big playmaker in coverage. Impedes some routes with physicality. Shows short area acceleration. Breaks quickly. Twitchy. Provides solid high-low bracket coverage. Didn’t go all out providing deep half help outside the hashmarks and never got there in time. Tremendous blitzing upside. Run support banger. Misses occasional tackles when he comes in low. Shies away from goal-line run support.

What to watch for during the 2025 college football season

1. Providing timely help over the top on deep passes?

2. Showing reluctance?

3. Missing tackles?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. Featured in USA Today. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.