Over the last 25 years, only two safeties (Sean Taylor and Eric Berry) have been picked in the top 10. We’re likely to see another addition this year, as Ohio State safety Caleb Downs has the momentum ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. Now, he is also drawing comparisons to a Super Bowl champion.

“The player that came to my mind when I was watching Downs was Antoine Winfield Jr.,” veteran NFL analyst Greg Cosell said on Ross Tucker’s football podcast today. “Antoine Winfield is a really good pro. He’s just short, which is probably why he was a second-round pick. But he’s a really, really good pro who can do everything, as we know in the Todd Bowles defense. And Downs strikes me as that kind of player who can probably do everything for you at a really good level.”

When you compare Downs and Winfield, it feels like watching a time-lapse. One is, of course, a finished product dominating the NFL every year, while another is clay continuing to chisel his finishing touches. Both players possess positional versatility, as they are defensive shapeshifters. Winfield, for instance, can line up deep, in the slot, or in the box and even come in handy in blitzes like an LB.

Tampa Bay uses him more as a ‘problem creator,’ not just a coverage guy, an ability he developed in college. Playing college football for Minnesota, he not only notched 174 tackles (126 solo), 4 sacks, and 6 pass breakups but also recorded 2 forced fumbles. However, at 5’9″ and 203 lbs, teams passed him because of his frame until Tampa Bay drafted its future star at 45th overall in 2020.

“It’s hard to express what a player like Antoine Winfield Jr. means to our team,” Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles said about Winfield Jr. “He’s a dynamic player whose presence elevates our team every day and whose work ethic inspires those around him. Between his football IQ, his leadership, and his relentless drive, he sets the standard for what it means to be a Buccaneer.”

Winfield’s impact was immediate. After helping the Tom Brady-led Bucs win the 2021 Super Bowl and earning an All-Rookie Team nod, he quickly ascended to the NFL’s elite, becoming a two-time Pro Bowler. His consistent production, totaling 537 tackles and 18 sacks, culminated in the Buccaneers making him the highest-paid DB at the time with a massive $84 million extension in May 2024. Can Caleb Downs truly surpass Winfield’s talent in the NFL?

Caleb Downs is building up to script history with the New York Giants

Like Winfield, Downs has been a versatile threat for Ohio State. While his 149 tackles and 1.5 sacks are impressive, it’s his ability to handle both safety and linebacker duties in OSU’s complex schemes that truly stands out. He’s more than just a stat-stuffer; he’s a legitimate leader in the secondary with a knack for manipulating QB reads, making him a no-brainer for teams needing a physical run defender who can also fill gaps effortlessly. The New York Giants seem to have analyzed exactly that.

“The Giants are especially high on Downs, to the point where he’s square in the running at No. 5 no matter who is on the board,” ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reported. “The buzz around Downs to the Giants has only continued to grow around the league in recent weeks. Executives and coaches seem to think he will be one of their two first-round choices.”

In most years, taking a safety at 5th overall would seem a bad move. But Downs isn’t any safety. He has proven himself playing different roles for Ohio State and performed well under three different DCs (including his freshman year at Alabama). That only shows his immense adaptability, and since the Giants haven’t ruled out drafting players from the ‘non-premium’ positions higher up in the draft, it’s encouraging news for the former OSU star.

“We’re going to take the best player available, and we’re not going to rule any of those [positions] out,” Giants GM Joe Schoen said at his pre-draft presser. “Maybe it’s not the surplus positions or the higher-paying positions when you get into free agency [at the top of this year’s draft].”