Caleb Downs has consistently delivered throughout his football career, serving as a versatile defensive back and a leader on Ohio State’s defense. His magnificent college career boosted his draft stock, and he projects to be a starting-level safety.
Matt Patricia Calls Caleb Downs the ‘Smartest’ Player in 2026 NFL Draft
Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia appeared on “The Schrager Hour,” where he labeled Downs as the “smartest” prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft. Patricia’s remarks were in response to Mel Kiper projecting Downs to the New York Jets with the No. 2 overall pick. Meanwhile, this acclaim comes after a report from Cory Kinnan of Daft on Draft claiming an NFC scout flagged Downs with a “partially torn meniscus” and a potentially degenerative ACL.
“The Buckeye Show” host Brandon Beam discussed Downs’ NFL Draft stock on Friday amid rumors about the former Ohio State star’s knee injuries. Beam suggested the injury report could be a team attempting to influence Downs’ draft position, noting that Patricia’s endorsement carries significant weight given his NFL background.
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“To hear Patricia talk about him, any NFL defensive coordinator, defensive coach is gonna be like, all right, Patricia knows what he’s talking about,” Beam said. “This guy is a coach on the field. He’s coming from a Patricia defense who came from a dynasty, basically, in New England.”
Downs has already shown he can excel in a Buckeyes defense designed by Patricia to mirror NFL-level complexity. He played a versatile role last season, splitting time between box safety and deep safety responsibilities. He recorded 68 total tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 interceptions, earning a strong rating in the PFSN College Football Safety Impact Metric.
Patricia has a better idea of Downs’ level of adaptability on defense.
“He has that in-game ability to adjust, just like a coach,” Patricia said. “When you’re talking about stepping up to the next level, a guy with the skill set that can play in the box, has great run instincts, can blitz, can cover, can play man-to-man, played in the deep part of the field.”
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As for Downs’ injury speculation, analyst Pat McAfee dismissed concerns on “The Pat McAfee Show,” calling the reports “smoke and mirrors.” McAfee noted that multiple NFL teams told his show there was nothing in Downs’ medical evaluation that would deter them from selecting him.
Kinnan also indicated that the injury speculation isn’t serious enough to significantly impact Downs’ draft position.
