Full Details Of Dallas Cowboys' Caleb Downs Trade In 2026 NFL Draft

The Dallas Cowboys pulled off a last-minute trade before selecting Ohio State safety Caleb Downs in the first round.

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive back Caleb Downs speaks during the Cotton Bowl Media Day at AT&T Stadium in Dallas prior to the College Football Playoff matchup against the Miami Hurricanes on Dec. 29, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys made the first-round pick that many fans had been hoping for on Thursday, and pulled off a trade in order to do so.

Dallas moved up to No. 11 overall and selected Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, giving the Cowboys a new potential franchise star on defense less than a year after trading away Micah Parsons.

In order to move up to select Downs, the Cowboys traded away the No. 12 pick and two fifth-round picks to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for the No. 11 spot.

It appears that Miami was going to select Downs, or else the Cowboys would not have felt the need to move up just one spot. But two fifth-round picks and the first-round swap was enough for the Dolphins to feel motivated to move down and skip out on Downs.

The Cowboys had been connected with players like wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, but he went off the board at No. 8 overall to the New Orleans Saints. This set up a more likely situation for Dallas to make a move for Downs.

NFL Fans Had Eyes on Potential Cowboys Trade

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive back Caleb Downs poses on the red carpet before the 2026 NFL Draft at Point State Park. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

There had been a ton of eyes on Dallas for a potential trade in the first round, though it's unlikely many saw the team moving up just one spot. The Cowboys were viewed as a team that could use the No. 12 and No. 20 picks as ammo to vault themselves into the top five, but the front office stood pat for the most part and landed a player in Downs who many fans thought would not be available at that spot.

Downs will now help improve a defense that had the worst secondary in the NFL this past season. The Cowboys hired defensive coordinator Christian Parker as a result, and Downs is now the first pick under that new regime.

Across three years in college, the first of which was spent at Alabama, Downs played in 44 games while posting 257 total tackles (164 solo), 1.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, 12 pass breakups and six interceptions. He won the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year at Ohio State after the 2025 season.

He also made an impact on special teams, as Downs returned two punts back for a touchdown while at Ohio State.

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