The Dallas Cowboys made a much-needed move to bolster their defense in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Dallas jumped up one spot on Thursday to ensure it secured the top safety in the incoming class, trading pick Nos. 12, 177 and 180 overall to the Miami Dolphins to select Ohio State safety Caleb Downs with the 11th selection.
The Dolphins waited just a little longer and landed Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor with the very next selection, a gargantuan 6-foot-7 and 352-pound blocker set to pave the way for Miami's new regime led by coach Jeff Hafley.
Not content to sit tight at their next pick at No. 20 overall, the Cowboys recouped some capital lost in the Downs trade by allowing the rival Philadelphia Eagles to move up and take USC wide receiver Makai Lemon, moving back three spots and also receiving pick Nos. 114 and 137. The Cowboys sent a 2027 seventh-rounder to Philly as part of the deal, as well.
Dallas then continued its defensive retooling by selecting Central Florida pass rusher Malachi Lawrence with the 23rd pick.
The younger brother of Colts receiver Josh Downs, Caleb Downs entered college football in 2023 as a prized five-star recruit at Alabama, where he was actually came in alongside Proctor as part of the Crimson Tide's freshman class. He instantly made an impact in Tuscaloosa, starting all 14 games as a freshman and racking up 107 tackles (3.5 for loss), two interceptions, four pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Following coach Nick Saban's retirement, Downs transferred to Ohio State in 2024 and continued to produce at an elite level over his final two seasons, logging 149 tackles (12.5 for loss), 1.5 sacks, four interceptions, one pass breakup and two forced fumbles.
With his pedigree (which includes his father, former NFL running back Gary Downs) preceding him, Downs has been on the radar of NFL evaluators since his high school days in Georgia. He's lived up to it over three collegiate seasons, earning first-team AP All-American selections in 2024 and 2025 (plus a second-team nod as a true freshman in 2023), Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 and 2025, and the Thorpe Award (given to the nation's top defensive back) in his final season.
Given his productivity over his three seasons, Downs decided to stand on his film during the pre-draft process, sitting out of athletic testing at the NFL Scouting Combine and Ohio State's pro day. His film is strong enough to justify the approach. He's a three-level safety who makes his greatest impact in the box, proving himself as an exceptionally skilled, fearless tackler whose effort never relents and rarely finds himself out of position. He isn't the most outrageously gifted player physically, but the results outweigh the potential provided by testing data.
Depending on who you asked, Downs was considered by some as one of the best overall players in his draft class. He'll carry those sky-high expectations into the NFL with the same goal he accomplished in college: exceed them.
That's what the Cowboys are counting on as their defense continues to try to find its footing in the wake of the Micah Parsons trade they made heading into last season. Though that move, which netted them a first-round pick in both this draft and the next, gave them much-needed flexibility to move up and down the board on Day 1 as they pleased, it did not work out on the field in 2025.
Dallas allowed the most points in the league and finished 30th in yards allowed, a leaky unit that found little identity.
Downs and Lawrence's additions figure to help craft one. Downs joins fellow additions Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke in a defensive outfield that includes a 12-game starter for the team last year, Malik Hooker. Lawrence joins a position group equally well tended to this offseason, with other new names in the pass-rushing group including Rashan Gary and Jonathan Bullard.
Neither will need to be thrown in immediately, but considering their price tags, the Cowboys will be hoping they prove ready to be in short order.
