Cowboys Players Are Already Putting Massive Weight on Caleb Downs' Shoulders

Caleb Downs isn't your typical rookie. Ask any of the Dallas Cowboys fans that lost their minds with excitement after the team traded up to get him at No. 11 overall in this year's draft, and they'd likely say the same thing.

Downs certainly has All-Pro future written all over him, but going out and proving it is one thing. He's only just now getting his first real NFL reps during Dallas' training camp in Oxnard and will have to show this can translate once the actual punches start flying during preseason, in Week 1 against the New York Giants and beyond.

But with the way that his new teammates talk about him, you'd think Downs has already played 10 years of All-Pro football.

It's clear that Dallas has high expectations for Downs headed into what should be an exciting rookie year. Just ask Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown.

Caleb Downs Not a Rookie in DeMarvion Overshown's Eyes

Dallas Cowboys safety Caleb Downs (13) at training camp at River Ridge Playing Fields. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In a recent interview with the NFL on CBS, Overshown spoke at length about Downs and what he expects him to bring to the defense this upcoming season.

Joining a defense that was the worst in the NFL last year, there's more pressure on Downs to perform than many would have expected had he landed with a different franchise.

"Man, he's a dog," Overshown said of Downs. "You can't even call him a rookie, man. He's just a dog. He's a ball player. Wherever you look up and the ball's there, he's gonna be around it. So you know that's already a plus."

Overshown pointed out that Downs has been successful throughout his football career from high school to college. He played for legendary coach Nick Saban at Alabama in 2023 before winning a national title and earning All-American honors during his two years at Ohio State.

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Caleb Downs (18) on the field during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility in Frisco, Texas. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hopefully Downs can rub some of the championship pedigree off on a franchise that hasn't made the NFC Championship since the 1995 season.

"He takes every day as a new opportunity to get better," Overshown said. "We're looking at him as a guy that's gonna change this defense around, gonna change the culture. He's won at every level of football. We always talk, we joke, but he's won at every level of football. So we looking for him to bring that into our locker room as well."

No pressure, rook.

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