There have been a lot of heady comparisons for Dallas Cowboys rookie defensive back and 2026 1st-round pick Caleb Downs before and after he was taken with the No. 11 overall pick in April.
The latest comparison might be the best of the bunch.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter compared Downs to none other than San Francisco 49ers legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott on “Get Up” on Thursday â perhaps the greatest safety in football history.
“In 1981, the San Francisco 49ers selected Ronnie Lott in the 1st round of the NFL Draft,” Schefter said. “So that was 45 years ago, and it transformed the 26th-rated defense in the NFL, and 1 year later, they were Super Bowl champions. Now, 45 years later, it feels like the Cowboys are doing the same thing (with Downs). He’s a transformative player who should not have slipped to where he did in the draft, a player who is smart and who is heady and who can organize a defense and make plays. I think Caleb Downs could have the same type of impact on the Dallas defense that Ronnie Lott did on the 49ers 45 years ago.”
Lott-Downs Similarities Too Many to Count
The similarities between Lott and Downs can be a tad eerie â including that they’re the same size at 6-foot and around 205 pounds.
In college â Lott at USC and Downs at Ohio State â they both won national championships in their 2nd seasons, and both earned All-American honors multiple times before being selected within just 3 picks of each other in the draft, with Lott going at No. 8 overall.
They both also could play multiple positions. Lott started off as a cornerback in the NFL but eventually switched to safety after a few seasons. Downs is starting his career as a slot cornerback but seems like he could eventually become a full-time safety down the road.
In Lott’s rookie year with the 49ers, he had 7 interceptions and became the 1st rookie in NFL history to return 3 interceptions for touchdowns while finishing as the runner-up for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year to New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor.
Lott, who retired in 1995 after 14 seasons, ended his career as a 4-time Super Bowl champion, 8-time NFL All-Pro, and 10-time Pro Bowler. He was also named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team for both the 1980s and 1990s while being named to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary Team and the 100th Anniversary Team as well.
Cowboys Had NFL’s Worst Secondary in 2025
The Cowboys stumbled to a 7-9-1 record and missed the playoffs for the 2nd consecutive season in 2025 despite having arguably the NFL’s best offense.
They were so bad because their defense was so bad, particularly their secondary, which was dead-last in the NFL in passing defense.
That’s why their secondary will likely feature 3 new starters in 2026. That’s Downs, who signed a 4-year, $28.9 million contract, along with safety Jalen Thompson and cornerback Cobie Durant.
Thompson was the prize of the bunch, signing a 3-year, $33 million free-agent contract.
âThompson was among the most consistent and most underrated safeties in the NFL while playing alongside Budda Baker in Arizona,â PFFâs Zolton Buday wrote. âThe Washington State product has earned a PFF overall grade between 68.0 and 72.0 in five of his past six seasons. His 69.2 PFF coverage grade this past season ranked 26th among 93 safeties. Plus, he will be only 28 years old when the 2026 campaign kicks off.â
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Cowboys’ $29 Million Rookie Receives Pro Football Hall of Fame Comparison appeared first on HEAVY.