Ben BabyFeb 26, 2026, 11:43 AM ET
- Ben Baby covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN. He joined the company in July 2019. Prior to ESPN, he worked for various newspapers in Texas, most recently at The Dallas Morning News where he covered college sports. He provides daily coverage of the Bengals for ESPN.com, while making appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN's NFL shows and ESPN Radio programs. A native of Grapevine, Texas, he graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor's degree in journalism. He is an adjunct journalism professor at Southern Methodist University and a member of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).
INDIANAPOLIS -- Good luck finding a better defender than Caleb Downs in this year's NFL draft class.
The former Ohio State safety is projected to be a potential top-five pick when teams make their selections in April. And amid questions about whether using a premium pick on a safety is worth it, Downs said being the best defender should weigh the most in that consideration.
And in his mind, no player in college football was better than him.
"I feel confident every time I stepped on the field," Downs said. "If I would say I walked on the field and thought anybody was better than me, yeah, that's not true."
Last season, Downs was named the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year and also won the Thorpe Award, which is given to the country's top defensive back. He was also a captain for the nation's best scoring defense (9.3 points per game).
If Downs goes within the top five picks, he'll be the first player to accomplish that feat since Eric Berry was selected fifth overall in 2010. Since 2000, just six defensive backs have been taken within that range.
Downs, who declared for the draft following his third year of college, believes his skills should put him in that conversation.
"It's not really [about] positional value," Downs said. "It's who affects the game. If you affect the game in a lot of ways, that's what's most important."
Downs spent his first season at Alabama before transferring to Ohio State, where he spent his sophomore and junior years. He helped Ohio State win the College Football Playoff championship in 2024.
And as the way safeties and defensive backs are used continues to change, Downs is a big believer in being able to play anywhere from deep in coverage to being lined up as a slot cornerback on the line of scrimmage.
"I feel like being able to play multiple positions is what makes people useful," Downs said. "It makes people special."
However NFL teams decide to use him, Downs is ready for the challenge.
"My confidence level is always at the highest when I'm on the field and the belief in myself really never goes down no matter the circumstance," said Downs when asked what makes him the best player in the draft class.
"I feel like my mind really puts me above a lot of people in terms of how I process the game and play with instincts, and I feel like that's what makes me special."
