The Dallas Cowboys may have nabbed the best pound-for-pound player in the 2026 NFL draft with Ohio State safety Caleb Downs at No. 11 overall.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably heard that already.
What you may not have known is that Downs comes from an etlite football family. He’s the son of former NFL running back Gary Downs and the younger brother of Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs.
Josh Downs took a second to remind the football world that he is, in fact, the older sibling, and with the NFC East playing AFC South teams in 2026, the brothers will get a chance to go head-to-head in the near future.
“He told me if he goes to the Cowboys, he’s playing nickel,” Josh Downs said on Wednesday. “So that’s like head-to-head all game … I gotta let him know he’s the little brother in this situation.”
While we can all recognize that any sibling head-to-head might give a little extra juice to either side, it’s hard to see Josh Downs ever getting the best of Caleb Downs in an NFL game.
Josh Downs Starred at UNC Before NFL
While you might not have heard of Josh Downs, he’s been carving out a pretty respectable NFL career of his own with the Colts.
Josh Downs, 5-foot-9 and 171 pounds, was a 2-time All-ACC pick at North Carolina in 2021 and 2022, when he had consecutive seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards, with 195 receptions for 2,364 yards and 19 touchdowns in 24 games over those final 2 seasons. He left school with 1 year of eligibility remaining and was selected by the Colts in the 3rd round (No. 79 overall) of the 2023 NFL draft.
Through his 1st 3 seasons in the NFL, Josh Downs has been a pretty solid WR2 option for the Colts with career numbers of 198 receptions for 2,140 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’s also shown his versatility, filling in as a return specialist when needed.
Caleb Downs Could Have Pro Bowl Upside as Rookie
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton put Downs at the top of his list of 2026 draft picks who could earn Pro Bowl selections as rookies.
The 5-foot-11, 206-pound former 5-star recruit was a 3-time All-American in 3 college seasons and has drawn comparisons to Pro Football Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed.
In 2024, Downs led the Buckeyes to a College Football Playoff national championship. In 2025, he was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and won the Jim Thorpe Award.
“Even though Downs is a safety, he can line up all over the field, which allows him to make key stops and plays on the ball,” Moton wrote. “Although safeties aren’t premium-position players, Downs will quickly garner respect around the league for his range and ball skills. Defensive backs who rack up pass breakups and generate turnovers have a good chance to make the Pro Bowl or All-Pro team. In the Cowboys’ revamped secondary, Downs could be a do-it-all chess piece who leads the club in multiple defensive categories.”
Downs could also be an incredible value for the Cowboys if he turns into a star on a fully guaranteed 4-year, $28.9 million rookie contract that included a $17.5 million signing bonus.
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