Cowboys rookie Caleb Downs is being tasked with filling multiple roles on the revamped defense this season.
Michael Hogue/Staff Artist; Getty Images
FRISCO — Caleb Downs has a big brain.
His ability to process the game allows the Cowboys to trust the rookie defensive back to play the slot, line up near the line of scrimmage or deep in the backfield.
The desire to learn for Downs started young.
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Gary Downs said his son was in seventh grade when he wanted to solve a Rubik’s Cube. Caleb created his own football drills on the sideline as his father coached his older brother, Josh, in youth football. Gary Downs said the other parents were amazed Caleb created obstacle courses to run through.
When Gary was the running back coach at East Tennessee State, he sent index cards of drills for Caleb to work on. One day, Caleb submitted his own set of drills on index cards to dad.
“I think there’s some uniqueness to him,” Gary Downs said. “His level of his ability to focus and literally lock in and know what he wants. Sometimes people don’t know what they want in life. He seems to always know what he wants and then once he knows that he wants, the ability to stay focused and undistracted by anything else, he can lock it in.”
It’s the smarts from Downs that give the Cowboys confidence he can become an impact player in 2026.
The Cowboys have seen Downs cover elite receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens in the slot during training camp practices. He’s lined up near the line of scrimmage, squeezing through lanes to make plays on running backs. He plays deep with fellow safety Jalen Thompson in zone coverage, causing quarterbacks — whether it’s Dak Prescott, Sam Howell or Joe Milton — to second-guess throwing passes in his direction.
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Downs, the 11th overall pick from Ohio State, isn’t perfect.
In two joint practices against the Rams and Saints, there were struggles.
Saints receiver Chris Olave caught a TD pass against Downs. In some practices, Lamb and Pickens got the best of him. In one-on-one drills, KaVontae Turpin also slipped past him.
And there was this: In late August, Downs picked off a Prescott pass in the back of the end zone, his first interception of training camp. His excitement was evident as he punted the ball to midfield.
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Dallas Cowboys defensive back Caleb Downs (13) reacts after a catch by New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave (12) during a training camp practice on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif.
Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News
Thrown into the fire
Downs uses his brain to get better. Coach Brian Schottenheimer said he hasn’t seen Downs make the same mistake twice.
Downs’ progression has people in the organization nodding their heads when asked about his tremendous upside.
“I will say, though, honestly, his ability to adjust is very mature,” Lamb said. “Again, he understands where his help is. In minicamp, that was his first time in the defense. He wasn’t really understanding what was going on, but now he plays to his help, he plays to his strength and shows. The guy’s phenomenal. He’s a great football player. Can’t wait to see what he is doing Sundays.”
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In a week, Downs will face the New York Giants in the season opener. In another week, it’s the Washington Commanders. Then, it’s the Baltimore Ravens.
Three teams with quarterbacks who present defenses with problems because of their ability to move in and out of the pocket. There’s the possibility of Downs covering receivers in the slot such as Malik Nabers, Zay Flowers, Stefon Diggs, Terry McLaurin and Rashod Bateman.
The NFL isn’t easy. Downs understands that better than anyone because of his pedigree.
His father, Gary, played for four NFL teams. His brother, Josh Downs, is a wide receiver for the Colts, and his uncle, Dre’ Bly, played 11 seasons in the NFL. Downs comes from a family of thinkers.
Gary Downs and his wife, Caleb’s mother Tonya, were members of the National Honor Society. Gary’s father was a farmer. His grandmother was a banker. Tonya’s parents worked at IBM for nearly 30 years.
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One of Caleb’s uncles is a lawyer. Caleb’s sister is in medical school.
Then there’s the ball playing side of the family, from Gary, Josh, Caleb and Bly, who married Caleb’s aunt.
“Gary grew up as a military baby,” said Bly, a senior defensive assistant coach at South Carolina. “His grandpa, on Gary’s side, served in the military for 20-plus years. So when they talk about work ethic, they talk about smarts. That’s kind of how he was raised. Then you add his dad played professional football. He was raised in a football family.”
Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker (left) works one-on-one with rookie defensive back Caleb Downs (13) during a training camp practice at The Star in Frisco, August 25, 2026.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News
Two old souls
Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker is a deep thinker, too.
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He works on Downs’ footwork so he can keep his balance when he faces an offensive player. Parker shows Downs where to place his hands when defending a pass against a receiver. Parker wants Downs to know when to turn his head to find the ball as it approaches the target. Also, Parker wants Downs’ hands in certain positions to avoid getting penalized and, well, to make those plays the Cowboys seek.
Downs just doesn’t talk to his coordinator. He picks the brains of the receivers, too.
“Yeah, that’s where confidence actually comes from,” Downs said. “Just being in the situations, doing it actually at the level that you’re going to have to do in the game. I feel like that’s a big thing. Going against, even against the Rams, going against Puka [Nacua] for a couple of reps. It’s all just trying to get me to where I need to be my best.”
The connection Downs has with Parker is fun to watch. Both are cerebral in how they speak with reporters and dissect the game. It’s probably why the two are seen together before and after practices.
Parker, at 34, is considered young as a defensive coordinator. Sometimes he comes across as an old soul. Downs, 21, has a similar vibe.
“That’s how he’s been,” said Bly, who spoke to Parker during the draft process about Caleb. “He’s settled. We have a super spiritual family and like I told you, [Caleb] is cut from the old school, man. That’s what you guys see. His work ethic, his smarts, his dedication, that’s kind of how he was raised and that’s what you guys are starting to see, which is a little different than how most football players are wired.”
The Cowboys hope Parker and Downs mesh when the regular season starts against the Giants.
“He’s very willing, he’s very curious,” Parker said. “I think that curiosity is one thing for young players that you really look for. They want to know the why behind everything. We give them that upfront, the intent behind each thing that we’re trying to do. So I think with him, he has that natural spirit about him for sure.”