With just two months left before the NFL Draft, projections are skyrocketing, and teams are circling up. Ohio State has six players declaring for the draft, but one name stands out above the rest: Caleb Downs. The Jim Thorpe Award winner was a crucial piece of the Buckeyes’ defense, which ranked No. 1 nationally. It allowed just 9.3 points per game. That resume has clearly forced pro teams to notice, drawing serious interest from the Miami Dolphins, a franchise valued at $7.5 billion.

It was clear early on that Caleb Downs had the versatility to line up just about anywhere. In 2025, Matt Patricia leaned all the way into that, essentially using Downs as his guinea pig. He deployed him in a big nickel role. It’s the same concept Patricia once used with Patrick Chung in New England. The build is to hold up against both the run and the pass.

The idea was simple: let Caleb Downs morph between run support and coverage, and that’ll make the defense harder to diagnose. That role has naturally drawn similarities to Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. The big nickel spot became a major reason why the Buckeyes’ defense finished No. 1 nationally in 2025. They allowed just one opponent to throw for more than 200 yards in a game. Against Miami, most of the damage came late.

In the Cotton Bowl, 132 of the Hurricanes’ 170 passing yards came in the final 13 minutes. Even with that slight issue, Downs’ need for Miami is obvious. He played all 14 games, tallying 68 tackles, five tackles for loss, and a sack. Like Fitzpatrick, Downs can play deep, drop into the area, or slide into the slot. He is a true defensive chess piece who gives coordinators a lot of breathing space.

That kind of all-around play is exactly what the Dolphins need. Their defense ranked 24th in scoring and last in opponent completion percentage, pointing out actual issues on the back end. Downs brings expertise that helped Ohio State limit explosive plays all season. His film shows a defender who reads eyes, studies moves, and adjusts while charging, as he did in the Texas game. Downs helped shut down the Longhorns’ passing attack.

He held Arch Manning to just 170 yards and 5.7 yards per try after he had been averaging over 10. Downs was everywhere, finishing with five tackles and delivering a huge fourth-down block on Texas’ final chance. He’s also a reliable open-field tackler who plays with real physicality, especially in run support.

It’s something plenty of NFL secondaries lack. With defensive-minded head coach Jeff Hafley, a former DB coach who maximized All-Pro safety Xavier McKinney in Green Bay, Miami could be an ideal fit. That said, the Dolphins won’t be alone in the chase.

New York Jets join the party

The New York Jets are firmly in the mix for Caleb Downs, and the reasons are the same. A brutal 3–14 season served as a loud wake-up call that the defense needs fixing, fast. EssentiallySports’ Tony Pauline believes Downs could be part of that solution, with his versatility once again being the biggest draw. Some scouts have even compared him to Lions safety Brian Branch. The Jets’ defensive collapse didn’t happen suddenly.

Sauce Gardner once anchored the unit, bursting onto the scene as a rookie and becoming the first first-year player to earn First Team All-Pro honors since 1981. But last year, New York traded him to the Colts for receiver Adonai Mitchell and two future first-round picks (2026 and 2027). The move was very wrong. The front office also sent cornerback Michael Carter II to Philadelphia, further thinning the secondary; the situation was ugly.

The Jets finished 31st in points allowed, giving up 29.3 points per game, and at the bottom of the league in takeaways with just four all season. Head coach Aaron Glenn tried to solve the problems, but that was a waste. Although there is a bit of skepticism from the Jets when it comes to the positional value of drafting him, that’s where Downs becomes the only chance. Glenn saw quick results working with Brian Branch during his time with the Lions, and with the right chess piece in position, he could recreate that dominance in New York.