{"id":873776,"date":"2026-04-24T20:03:28","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T20:03:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/873776\/"},"modified":"2026-04-24T20:03:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T20:03:28","slug":"peter-schrager-crowns-cowboys-as-nfl-draft-winners-after-caleb-downs-robbery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/873776\/","title":{"rendered":"Peter Schrager crowns Cowboys as NFL Draft winners after Caleb Downs robbery"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s official. Caleb Downs is a member of the Dallas Cowboys, and fans are rightfully going nuts. The football gods somehow let the All-American safety fall<\/a> to the Cowboys, who traded up to No. 11 to land arguably the best player in the draft. <\/p>\n

That’s why NFL insider Peter Schrager crowned the Cowboys as winners of the NFL Draft. <\/a>It wasn’t in the cards for someone as talented as Downs to go as low as he did, but the Cowboys caught a break. They needed defensive depth as badly as any team in the NFL, and got Downs after trading up one spot with the Miami Dolphins. <\/p>\n

Schrager had Downs going to the Cowboys, but some last-minute intel made it seem like it was almost impossible<\/a>. Schrager has already thrown in the white flag on every other team because the Cowboys got the steal of the night. <\/p>\n

“If I’m giving out a grade right now, the Dallas Cowboys have already won the draft. The value of getting a player this late for a team that needed so badly, this is everything…it’s like the stars aligned.” <\/p>\n

Peter Schrager says the Dallas Cowboys have already won the draft with Caleb Downs pick <\/p>\n

When fellow Ohio State studs Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles went before Downs, it stung Cowboys fans, but they ended up only suffering temporarily, as they ended up with the best pick of the night. <\/p>\n

It was looking like Jones and Will McClay were going to have to trade up inside the top five to get a guy like Downs, but they didn’t have to. The Cowboys got the jack-of-all-trades player, and they barely had to move up. Remind you of anyone? <\/a><\/p>\n

Schrager added that Downs is going to be the face of the franchise. Even though we still have training camp and preseason, it’s safe to say the former Ohio State safety is going to be a fan favorite already. He can play nickel, safety, and can blitz the QB if new defensive coordinator Christian Parker gives him the green light to. <\/p>\n

Positional value ended up mattering in the end, but all fans care about is that the Cowboys have an instant Week 1 starter to change the defense. <\/p>\n

The reaction is mostly A+ for Dallas, and fans can easily agree with Schrager that the Cowboys are the champs of Day 1. <\/p>\n

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