This Ohio State Buckeye Has Grabbed The Attention of Multiple NFL Draft Analysts

Despite being an underclassmen, this Ohio State Buckeye has received high praise from many NFL Draft analysts.

Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs (2) takes the field during the NCAA football game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pa. on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. Ohio State won 20-13. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ohio State Buckeyes were able to acquire multiple star players through the transfer portal last offseason, who have helped the program make a push for a National Championship. However, there is one player that has truly established himself as a potential top-10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

After his impressive freshman year in 2023, safety Caleb Downs has continued to grow into one of the best players in college football this season. The former five-star recruit and Alabama standout has already accumulated 34 total tackles and three pass deflections.

NFL draft analyst Todd McShay shared his thoughts on social media on Monday night, stating that Downs is the best safety in the country.

This is completely random on a Monday night… but just watching Ohio State D tape… Caleb Downs is the best safety in the country. He’s just different. One of the best football players in the country. He would be a top-15 pick in 2025 draft if he were eligible. Maybe top-10.…

— Todd McShay (@McShay13) November 5, 2024

While there are multiple draft-eligible prospects on the Buckeyes roster, it was Downs who grabbed the attention of McShay. The last time an Ohio State safety was selected in the NFL Draft was back in 2020, when Jordan Fuller was taken in the sixth round by the Los Angeles Rams. Downs would also be the first Buckeyes' safety since Malik Hooker in 2017 to be a selected in the first round.

Downs would not be the first member in his family to make the NFL. His father, Gary, was a running back selected in the third round by the New York Giants in 1994. His older brother, Josh, is currently in the NFL as a wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts. However, the highly-touted safety has a chance to be the first in his family to be drafted in round one.