There goes Bailey!

Great player

Pick is in for Cards so that trade is off the table

chriscbear said:

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Great player

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Tech had a bunch of them this year. Much like UT teams pre NIL, "best teams money could buy"

WR Tate goes, if WR Tyson goes before us, that might give us Sonny Styles

This is a lot more fun with 8 minute rounds in RD 1

Chiefs just trading up - TE Sadiq maybe?

Dammit - Commanders got Sonny Styles

Yep, time to sweat

BearForce said:

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Yep, time to sweat

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Downs and Bains are our top couple of wants I would think, if those two or gone, trade back a few spots

Saints go Tyson. Good for us

Those OTs are really looking like good value on the dollar

Fano to Cleveland....yes

Assassin said:

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Those OTs are really looking like good value on the dollar

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There goes one, Fano. F Mammoth is still there

The Giants took Mauigoa...we should be good

We just traded with Miami

ESPN showing Dallas with 11 and 12 picks''

Just 11

Who will it be ???

Assassin said:

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ESPN showing Dallas with 11 and 12 picks

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Nope, we gsve them 177 and 180 to swap 11 and 12

I am thinking Downs

Ticket saying it's Downs. ESPN no comment yet

It's Caleb Downs

BearForce said:

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Assassin said:

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ESPN showing Dallas with 11 and 12 picks

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Nope, we gsve them 177 and 180 to swap 11 and 12

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That was weird. In my head I was trying to think what we gave up to move up from 20

BearForce said:

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It's Caleb Downs

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Wouldnt it be cool if Bains slipped to 20?

Caleb Downs was born into football royalty. His father Gary spent time with the Giants, Broncos, and Falcons as a running back, while his uncle Dre Bly carved out a two-time Pro Bowl career at cornerback and collected a Super Bowl ring with the Rams. His older brother Josh currently runs routes for the Colts. The Downs family tree reads like a NFL personnel directory, and Caleb appears destined to add his own chapter to that legacy. Standing 6'0" and weighing 205 pounds, he arrived at Alabama in 2023 as the consensus No. 1 safety in America, a five-star recruit with a 6.1 Rivals grade and 0.99 rating from 247Sports.

That true freshman season in Tuscaloosa set the tone for everything that followed. Downs became the first freshman in Alabama history to lead the team in tackles, racking up 107 stops along with 3.5 tackles for loss, two picks, and a forced fumble. The SEC coaches named him Freshman of the Year, and Pro Football Focus gave him first-team All-American honors before he had even attended his first college spring practice as a sophomore. He also found time to take a punt 85 yards to the house. When Nick Saban retired that offseason, Downs entered the transfer portal as its most coveted prize and landed in Columbus.

The move paid immediate dividends for Ryan Day's program. Downs earned unanimous All-American status in 2024 while helping the Buckeyes capture a national championship, finishing with 82 tackles, two interceptions (including one to seal the Cotton Bowl win over Texas), and six pass breakups. He also housed another punt return, this time a 79-yarder against Indiana that marked Ohio State's first punt return touchdown in a decade. His 2025 campaign brought the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's best defensive back, a ninth-place finish in Heisman voting, and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors. He departs Columbus with 257 career tackles, six interceptions, 12 pass deflections, and three forced fumbles across three seasons at college football's highest level.


Honors & awards

• 2025 Jim Thorpe Award
• 2025 Lott IMPACT Trophy

Scouting Report: Strengths

• Processes information at warp speed before the snap and after it, diagnosing route combinations and run fits faster than most safeties can identify the formation.
• Operates as a legitimate chess piece who can align in the box, split the field as a deep half defender, or match up with tight ends and slot receivers in man coverage without losing a step.
• Tackles with controlled aggression and textbook technique, breaking down in space with excellent balance and wrapping through contact rather than lunging or diving.
• Shows cornerback-level fluidity in his hips when transitioning from backpedal to drive, allowing him to mirror route breaks and stay in-phase against quicker receivers.
• Commands the secondary like a veteran defensive coordinator, relaying coverage calls and adjusting alignments with an authority that belies his age.
• Displays excellent ball-hawking instincts when playing zone, subtly manipulating quarterback reads with his eyes and body position before breaking hard on throwing windows.
• Brings physicality as a run defender, taking on blocks with sound pad level and working through contact to set edges or fill gaps without getting washed out of his assignment.
• Offers legitimate special teams value as a punt returner with vision, burst, and the ability to make the first man miss in space.

Scouting Report: Weaknesses

• Occasionally sells out for the highlight reel hit instead of securing the tackle, leading to overaggressive angles that create missed opportunities in pursuit.
• Can get caught peeking too long in the backfield when playing zone, which opens throwing lanes to crossing routes that sneak behind his drop.
• Gambles for interceptions at times when the safer play is simply getting a hand on the ball and ensuring the incompletion.
• Struggles somewhat when climbing offensive linemen reach him at the second level, needing to improve his hand usage to disengage from bigger bodies.
• Most of his tape came in two-high shells, leaving some questions about his range and comfort operating as a true single-high free safety over the deep middle.

Scouting Report: Summary
Downs plays the safety position the way it was designed to be played in the modern NFL: with versatility, intelligence, and an ability to handle any assignment a defensive coordinator throws at him. He can drop into a deep half and take away half the field. He can rotate down into the box and play like an extra linebacker against the run. He can follow a tight end across the formation and blanket him in man coverage. That kind of flexibility is invaluable in a league where offenses constantly try to create mismatches through personnel and motion.

The football bloodlines show up in his anticipation and feel for the game. He processes information the way his father and uncle did, recognizing concepts before they fully develop and putting himself in position to make plays. His communication skills are refined beyond his years, and he walks into any defensive meeting room ready to contribute from a mental standpoint immediately. He will need some time to adjust to NFL speed like every rookie, but his processing ability and instincts give him a significant head start on the learning curve.

Here is the deal: Downs projects as a Day One starter who could reasonably compete for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. His floor is a reliable, versatile starter who makes the players around him better through his preparation and communication. His ceiling is perennial All-Pro caliber and a defensive centerpiece for the next decade. The safety position does not typically command premium draft capital, but Downs is the type of prospect who transcends positional value discussions. He is a football player in the truest sense, and he will make whatever defense selects him significantly better the moment he steps on the field.

The rumor is Rams are gonna upset the 1st round

Assassin said:

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BearForce said:

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It's Caleb Downs

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Wouldnt it be cool if Bains slipped to 20?

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I'd be shocked but he'll yeah

Rams pushing a player to us at 20 by taking QB Ty Simpson

Assassin said:

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The rumor is Rams are gonna upset the 1st round

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Ty Simpson....yeah they have...Holy ****

BearForce said:

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Assassin said:

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BearForce said:

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It's Caleb Downs

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Wouldnt it be cool if Bains slipped to 20?

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I'd be shocked but he'll yeah

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Both Proctor and Simpson were not ranked as high as they went

Assassin said:

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BearForce said:

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Assassin said:

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BearForce said:

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It's Caleb Downs

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Wouldnt it be cool if Bains slipped to 20?

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I'd be shocked but he'll yeah

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Both Proctor and Simpson were not ranked as high as they went

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Agree...that is two players you weren't counting on to go before 20

Cant believe how many services had Caleb Downs their top overall pick, ahead of Reese and Bailey

BearForce said:

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Assassin said:

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BearForce said:

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Assassin said:

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BearForce said:

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It's Caleb Downs

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Wouldnt it be cool if Bains slipped to 20?

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I'd be shocked but he'll yeah

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Both Proctor and Simpson were not ranked as high as they went

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Agree...that is two players you weren't counting on to go before 20

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There went a OG

well the rams didn't pick sawyer so i wonder where he'll land

PSU OG to Baltimore....this is working out really nice