Early Signs Point to Major Role for Rookie Caleb Downs With Dallas Cowboys

Caleb Downs was expected to have a big role with the Cowboys upon being drafted and that expectation has been solidified during the offseason program.

Dallas Cowboys safety Caleb Downs. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

When the Dallas Cowboys drafted defensive back Caleb Downs in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, he was fully expected to have a significant role right out of the gate.

We are now two full months into Downs' tenure with the Cowboys and there has been nothing to suggest that won't be the case following the events of OTAs and mandatory minicamp.

We have only heard good things about Downs and Dallas has been putting more and more on his plate as the offseason has progressed, which shows he's making progress toward the expectations everyone has of him.

First, he worked exclusively at slot cornerback, where head coach Brian Schottenheimer has said the team plans on deploying him initially. Then, Downs started seeing more work at safety and on special teams, both as a returner and personal protector.

"Caleb Downs played some in the slot and more in the back end than he did in the first OTA we saw last week," ESPN's Todd Archer wrote during the second open practice of OTAs. "During special teams period, he returned some punts and also acted as the personal protector."

Based on what we know, it's clear that Downs is going to be Dallas' primary slot corner, and when he isn't serving in that role, he'll be on the back end, where Downs will likely be flanked by Jalen Thompson.

While Downs has been able to hold his own on the practice field, that is only part of the process of earning a key role in his first season.

Downs earning trust with teammates, coaches

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Caleb Downs and defensive coordinator Christian Parker. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Part of the equation of Downs earning a big role out of the gate is his ability to earn the trust and respect of the coaching staff and his teammates.

So far, it doesn't appear he's having any issue doing that, as he has received rave reviews from guys like quarterback Dak Prescott and defensive coordinator Christian Parker.

"He's a guy that's a leader just by the way that he carries himself and the way he approaches it," the Cowboys quarterback said. "I know he's leading that rookie class, but he understands the way that the locker room goes and what it means to earn veterans' trust and to get their respect."

“He’s as advertised," Parker said of Downs.

"He looks for coaching. He craves that. He wants to be corrected. He wants more information," Parker added. "And he works as hard as he can with the extras and everything else. So it’s been good. He’s been good to work with, and I think that he’s trying to advance at the right rate."

If you followed along with the hype surrounding Downs during the pre-draft process, none of this should come as a surprise. Downs was widely viewed as one of the elite players in the 2026 draft class and was pegged as an immediate contributor.

The only surprising thing was the Cowboys landing someone who appears to be a true cornerstone defender in the draft slot they did.