The Dallas Cowboys hit a home run when they selected safety Caleb Downs in the 2026 NFL draft. Labeled as a top player in the draft because of his instincts and impact, the Cowboys lucked out getting him with the 11th overall pick because of perceived positional value.
The team got the player they coveted, and a steal, as 10 other NFL teams (including the Miami Dolphins) passed on a chance to pick one of the cleanest prospects in the draft. In the moment, it was not lost on Downs, who felt like he should have been selected higher. Downs’ reaction is of someone who’s ready to make those teams pay for not drafting him.
Many players use their draft slot as motivation in showing teams what they missed out on. Cowboys fans will never forget as wide receiver Randy Moss, who was expected to be drafted by the team in the 1998 draft, was bypassed in favor of defensive end Greg Ellis. And almost every chance Moss got to play the Cowboys, he would dominate them, starting with the three-catch, three-touchdown, 163-yard performance during the 1998 Thanksgiving game between the Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings.
Like Moss, Downs now has the added drive to play well against and beat the teams that passed him up in the draft. That’s good for Cowboys fans, especially since that list has four NFC teams on it, including two divisional rivals. The New York Giants passed on Downs twice, in favor of his former Ohio St. teammate linebacker Arvell Reese and offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa, while the Washington Commanders decided to select another teammate, LB Sonny Styles, instead.
Downs now has four games on the schedule every year to make those teams pay for not drafting him. In a league where winning the division is the easiest way to make the playoffs, Downs being pissed at two-thirds of his new NFC East foes is good news for the Cowboys.
There might not be anything more dangerous than a talented player with a chip on his shoulder, which Downs seems to possess. The Giants, Commanders, and eight other teams allowed the Cowboys to select perhaps the best player in the draft, something that Downs isn’t forgetting anytime soon.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Caleb Downs ready to make teams pay for passing him by in the draft
Reporting by Ben Grimaldi, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
