The Cowboys appear to have landed a major steal in Caleb Downs, and the early buzz out of training camp is only making the Giants look worse for passing on him.
Dallas wound up with Downs in the 2026 NFL Draft, a turn of events that caught plenty of people off guard. The expectation had been that New York would take him, but the Giants passed, and he ended up with one of their biggest rivals instead.
Now, as Downs settles into his first NFL training camp, the early signs are loud. The reports and video have pointed to a player who already looks well beyond the rookie stage, with the upside to become special fast.
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer was openly impressed when he spoke about the rookie.
"He's doing great," Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer told Zachary Rotman. "For a rookie, so instinctive, doesn't repeat mistakes. When you can play right away as a freshman at Alabama for Nick Saban, you've got some intelligence about you."
That kind of praise says a lot, not just about Downs, but about how he’s viewed around the league. Schottenheimer’s reference to Nick Saban underscores the kind of football IQ people believe Downs brings to the table, and why there’s already a sense that his NFL future could be a bright one.
It’s still only camp, but the Cowboys seem to have found a player who already looks like more than a solid starter. The early word is that Downs has a real chance to be elite before long.
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