The Dallas Cowboys just made a massive statement by drafting Caleb Downs with the 11th overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft. This is the highest draft investment the team has made in the safety position since all the way back in 2002 when they drafted Roy Williams. You can feel the excitement people have for adding this game-changing field general to this defense. Downs is a dynamic, explosive playmaker with incredible instincts, and watching him fly across the field is going to be pure entertainment for fans this season.
The Cowboys now have two former Ohio State safeties holding down the secondary. Malik Hooker is an OSU alum himself. In fact, he was also a top 15 pick of the Indianapolis Colts back in 2017, giving the Cowboys a nice little draft pedigree running around in the secondary. Whether it’s punishing ball carriers near the line of scrimmage or playing center field, the team will have a Buckeye spread across the field this upcoming season.
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Hooker is the seasoned veteran of this duo, and his journey to this point has had some bumps along the way. Coming out of college, he was an absolute star because of his rare range and incredible ball skills. He was the kind of free safety who could cover from sideline to sideline, making big plays on the ball that made him look like someone you’d want to avoid if possible.
Unfortunately, his upward trajectory was short-lived as his career has had its ups and downs. He showed flashes of that brilliant ballhawking ability right away, but his time in Indianapolis was heavily plagued by some incredibly bad luck with injuries, which kept him off the field quite a bit. Hooker missed games in each of his four seasons with the Colts, including over half the season in two of them.
With the inavailability discount, the Cowboys still saw some potential and signed him as a free agent in 2021, giving him a fresh start in Texas. Since joining Dallas, Hooker has enjoyed some fantastic bounce-back seasons, staying healthy for the most part and giving the team a reliable fixture for this defense. While there have still been occasional quiet stretches or minor hiccups, he has largely served as a steadying, veteran presence in the secondary.
Downs and Hooker complement each other very well. Hooker has the veteran experience and deep range to sit back as the ultimate safety net, while Downs has the youthful explosion to play closer to the line of scrimmage, blow up run plays, and blitz the quarterback. They are a perfect match. While some are ready to toss Hooker aside and slide in free agent Jalen Thompson to the starting safety spot, it might be a little premature to give up on Hooker just yet.
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The Cowboys sit in great shape at the safety position thanks to these two former Ohio State stars. With a perfect blend of seasoned wisdom and elite, young talent, the Dallas secondary has transformed from a position of weakness to a group with great promise. Get ready for a fun ride because this defense has the potential to surprise some people.
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