The Kansas City Chiefs gutted their secondary in a single offseason. Now, one mock draft suggests they could rebuild it by drafting college football’s best safety, Caleb Downs.
How Caleb Downs Fits Steve Spagnuolo’s Defense
The Chiefs dismantled the core of a Super Bowl-caliber secondary in just a few days when they traded All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams and watched Bryan Cook, Jaylen Watson, and Joshua Williams walk in free agency.
The McDuffie deal netted four picks, including the 29th overall selection, but left Kansas City scrambling to patch holes in the secondary with veterans Alohi Gilman and Kader Kohou.
Pro Football Sports Network analyst Reese Decker projects Downs getting drafted by Kansas City with the ninth overall pick in his latest mock draft.
“The Chiefs’ starting secondary from 2025 has been entirely dismantled,” Decker wrote. “Caleb Downs is one of the few sure-fire prospects in this draft class and can step in and play right away.”
“He’s detail-oriented, processes information rapidly, and can line up anywhere on the field,” Decker added about Downs. “His character is impeccable, and he’s an elite playmaker. A perfect fit for this defensive reload.”
The two-time unanimous All-American would give the Chiefs an immediate replacement for Cook, who departed for the Cincinnati Bengals on a three-year, $40.25 million contract earlier this month.
Downs earned the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s best defensive back in 2025 and finished his three-year collegiate career with 257 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and 6 interceptions. That versatility is precisely what Chiefs’ defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo covets.
The 6-foot, 205-pounder checks all the boxes as an elite defender with the versatility, ball skills, and big-play potential to make game-changing plays within the box or as a deep-half safety. Ohio State deployed him all over the field, including reps off the edge as a blitzer.
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Pairing Downs with second-year safety Jaden Hicks could give the Chiefs one of the league’s most exciting young tandems. Hicks recorded a 57.2 impact score on the PFSN Safety Impact Metric after playing 308 snaps as a sophomore in 2025. He led Kansas City in interceptions (3) during his first season and displayed the size, length, and physicality to compete at the catch point.
Why Downs Could Eventually Lead Kansas City’s Defense
Downs’ football IQ could position him to eventually succeed Nick Bolton as the defense’s vocal leader. Bolton currently wears the green dot and calls Spagnuolo’s complex checks, but his cap hit spikes to $19.25 million in 2026, with the Chiefs dedicating $26.8 million to two inside linebackers when combined with Drue Tranquill’s deal. That is an uncomfortable allocation for a team facing significant needs elsewhere.
No safety has been selected in the top 10 since Jamal Adams went sixth overall to the New York Jets in 2017, but Downs has the talent to buck that trend. The Buckeyes star is ranked as the second-best prospect on PFSN and is given a grade of 93.49.
Adding his instincts and playmaking skills to the secondary makes sense given all the quarterback talent in the AFC West.
The Chiefs have draft capital, roster holes, and a clear need for difference-makers on defense. Downs addresses all three, and if he is available when Kansas City is on the clock, expect general manager Brett Veach to draft him.
