Star Ohio State safety Caleb Downs had everyone raving about him as a guaranteed first-round pick in the 2026 draft. However, the stage set for him to prove his worth to NFL talents proved to undo all of his hardwork, after rumors swept across the football world about Downs injuring himself at the Combine. Some mock drafts pushed him out of their Top 10 lists, which was a staggering hit to his stock. But Caleb Downs os now trying to turn the tide towards himself.

“That’s not what my medical says,” Caleb Downs said in response to the injury rumors. ” I don’t really know who gave him that information, whoever that dude is. But it is what it is. I’m just gonna continue to do me. I can’t control what people say.”

It was floated that the safety had partially torn his meniscus and was also suffering from a degenerative ACL. In the NFL, a weak knee is a red flag for teams because players often see their careers reach an untimely end because of it. This is why it was important for Downs to shut down the rumors. After they spread, draft experts began projecting him to go to the Bengals at No. 10. Before the Combine, Downs was consistently expected to be picked between the first few picks. He slipped in the order only because of one rumor.  Even popular football talk show host Pat McAfee had refuted those claims after thorough research.

“We reached out to the Downs family,” McAfee said. “We reached out to multiple NFL teams. Not one team we talked to said there was anything in the medical that would deter them from bringing Caleb Downs in… Sometimes things get floated out there. Sometimes it’s a team hoping a guy falls. Sometimes it’s just some’body on the internet trying to make a name for themselves.”

The New York Giants have shown strong interest, with general manager Joe Schoen reportedly spending time evaluating Downs and meeting his family. Cincinnati, on the other hand, will wait with bated breath in case he falls to them at No. 10. Downs did not comment on meeting with the team, but the home team will always need a player like him. At Ohio State’s Pro Day, he also reportedly spoke with Commanders General Manager, Adam Peters. For those interested in him, OSU defensive coordinator Matt Patricia gave a shining review of the safety.

Matt Patricia believes Caleb Downs could be a great addition to the NFL

The defensive genius has a big hand in getting Caleb Downs to this point in his career. Though safety is a tricky position in the draft, Downs doesn’t have the right measurements when it comes to an NFL safety. But Patricia has a list of traits for teams to jot down as they deliberate upon Downs.

“His ability to track the ball in the deep part of the field, his athleticism, and how smooth he is going up to get the ball,” the DC said at OSU’s Pro Day. One thing people forget about Caleb is that he’s also probably the best punt returner out there. His ability to impact the game in multiple ways is special.

“It’s good to see him move, flip his hips, and play deep, but we already know how effective he is at the line of scrimmage, in the box, and with his instincts,” Patricia added.

At this point, Caleb Downs should still be in the Top 10, but experts have different projections for him in this range. But he’s done his due diligence and can only wait for the draft days to roll around and find out where he is going. Till then, he will count on his coach’s good words to help bolster his stock in the draft.