{"id":871388,"date":"2026-04-21T19:48:39","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T19:48:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/871388\/"},"modified":"2026-04-21T19:48:39","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T19:48:39","slug":"new-york-giants-are-front-runners-to-land-ohio-state-safety-in-the-2026-nfl-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/871388\/","title":{"rendered":"New York Giants Are Front-Runners to Land Ohio State Safety in the 2026 NFL Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"<p id=\"inline-text-0\" class=\"mt-[18px] md:mt-0 mb-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"5j\">The 2026 NFL Draft is right around the corner, and a few blue-chip prospects are positioned to reshape franchises overnight. Caleb Downs is firmly in that group.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-1\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"5m\">Safeties don\u2019t dominate the top of the draft board in today\u2019s NFL\u2014teams typically prioritize quarterbacks, edge rushers, and offensive tackles\u2014but Downs isn\u2019t your typical prospect. The two-time All-American out of Ohio State has built a reputation as one of the most instinctive and complete defensive players in the class, and there\u2019s real momentum behind him cracking the top 10 as a safety for the first time since Jamal Adams landed with the New York Jets back in 2017.<\/p>\n<p>Team to Draft Caleb Downs Probabilities\u00a0<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_0,h_0\/c_fill,w_16,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/voltaxMediaLibrary\/mmsport\/prediction_markets_on_si\/01kprnwhqhr11f1k6w4j.png\" alt=\"Team to Draft Caleb Downs Probabilities\" title=\"Team to Draft Caleb Downs Probabilities\" width=\"0\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full blur-[5px]\" q:id=\"5z\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Kalsh<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-4\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"63\">From a market standpoint, the New York Giants are leading the chase. <a href=\"https:\/\/kalshi.com\/markets\/kxnfldraftteam\/pro-football-team-draft\/kxnfldraftteam-26cdow\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kalshi currently gives them a 44% chance to select Downs with the No. 5 pick,<\/a> even after a slight dip over the past week. The Dallas Cowboys trail at 17%, while the Washington Commanders sit further back at 11%. Notably, all three of his most likely landing spots reside in the NFC East, adding another layer of intrigue to the board.<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Deep NFL roots have set high expectations for Caleb Downs.<\/p>\n<p>Where will the talented <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/OhioStateFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">@ohiostateFB<\/a> safety land on Draft night? <\/p>\n<p>2026 NFL Draft \u2013 Starts Thursday at 8pm ET on NFLN\/ESPN\/ABC<br \/>Stream on <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NFLPlus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">@NFLPlus<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/p4JUYnnjjD\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/p4JUYnnjjD<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 NFL (@NFL) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NFL\/status\/2046363282219712892?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">April 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-6\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"69\">On tape, it\u2019s easy to see why teams are circling. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/onsi\/fantasy\/rankings\/caleb-downs-emmanuel-mcneil-warren-lead-2026-nfl-draft-safety-rankings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Downs plays fast because he processes fast<\/a>\u2014diagnosing run fits, triggering downhill, and consistently putting himself in position to make plays. He\u2019s a tone-setter near the line of scrimmage and more than capable in coverage, even if bigger targets can occasionally give him issues. What separates him isn\u2019t elite size or testing numbers\u2014it\u2019s anticipation, discipline, and a feel for the game that shows up snap after snap.<\/p>\n<p>Why A Caleb Downs-New York Giants Match Makes Sense<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-8\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"6f\">Even after investing in the position\u2014bringing in Jevon Holland in free agency and drafting Tyler Nubin\u2014there\u2019s a clear path to adding a difference-maker. Head coach John Harbaugh has seen firsthand how impactful an elite safety can be, having coached legends like Ed Reed and stars like Kyle Hamilton. If he believes Downs fits that mold, positional value becomes less of a concern.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-9\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"6i\">There\u2019s also the bigger picture. New York\u2019s defense struggled in 2025, finishing near the bottom of the league in points allowed. Adding a player like Downs wouldn\u2019t just fill a need\u2014it could stabilize the back end and elevate the entire unit.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-10\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"6l\">The Giants have options at No. 5, and pass rush could still be in play. But if the board breaks a certain way, Downs feels like the kind of pick that front offices don\u2019t overthink. The market is leaning that direction\u2014and for good reason.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-12\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"6q\">Accuracy note: Market data referenced in this article reflects information as of Tuesday, April 21, 2026. Prediction market prices are live and shift continuously. Always verify current information directly at Kalshi.com and Polymarket.com before trading.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-13\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"6t\">Trading is risky, always trade responsibly. If your activity is becoming a problem, support is available by calling 1-800-522-4700.<\/p>\n<p>More Prediction Market News On SI<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.minutemediacdn.com\/platform\/google_discover_icon.svg\" class=\"shrink-0\"\/>Add us as a preferred source on Google<a aria-label=\"Follow si.com on Google News\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=si.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" class=\"flex h-[30px] w-[30px] shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-full bg-primary font-group-large text-sm font-medium text-white transition-colors hover:bg-secondary focus:bg-secondary md:w-auto md:gap-2.5 md:px-4 md:py-[5px]\">Follow<\/a><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 2026 NFL Draft is right around the corner, and a few blue-chip prospects are positioned to reshape&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":871389,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2067],"tags":[7,519,1917,56,2321,2469,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-871388","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york-giants","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-giants","10":"tag-new-york","11":"tag-new-york-giants","12":"tag-newyork","13":"tag-newyorkgiants","14":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116444432009421577","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/871388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=871388"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/871388\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/871389"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=871388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=871388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=871388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}