Josh Downs: Indianapolis Colts Rookie Files

With family ties to the NFL, Indianapolis Colts rookie Josh Downs strives to have an even more impressive career than his father and uncle.

Andrew Moore | Jul 3, 2023

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NFL players are part of a very exclusive group.

The number of players who make it onto an NFL roster is very slim. Only 1% of all high school football players in America will play a snap of professional football someday.

Now imagine what the odds are for not one, not two, but three members of the same family to play in the NFL. No, we are not talking about the Manning family but the Downs family.

This is "Rookie Files," a series on Horseshoe Huddle that gives you the backstory of every rookie for the Indianapolis Colts. Going player by player, we look at their journeys to the NFL and what makes each unique while also detailing how they help the Colts. Next up, Josh Downs, who hopes to become the most successful player in a family with plenty of NFL accomplishments.

An NFL Family

Josh Downs and family in 2019. — © Will Hammock, Gwinnett Daily Post

Downs was born on August 12, 2001, in Suwanee, Ga., to Gary and Tanya Downs. Downs is the middle of three children and grew up on the northwest side of Atlanta. His younger brother, Caleb, is a high-profile safety recruit entering his freshman season at Alabama.

Football has always been a part of the Downs family. Gary Downs was a running back who played seven seasons in the NFL. He was a third-round pick out of North Carolina State of the New York Giants in 1994, spending time with the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons as well.

Downs also has an uncle who spent time in the NFL. Gary's sister married Dré Bly, a two-time Pro Bowl cornerback well-known for his time with the St. Louis Rams and Detroit Lions. Bly is currently the cornerbacks coach for the Lions.

With a father and uncle who spent time in the NFL, Downs began his football journey at a young age. At just six years old, Downs began playing football along with basketball, baseball, track, and even soccer. His father felt that Downs would become a better athlete by playing different sports rather than sticking to just one.

But football quickly became the focus for Downs. Throughout elementary and middle school, he began to make a name for himself playing for Peachtree Ridge. Coaching Downs at Peachtree was Gary, passing down his knowledge and love for the game to his oldest son.

Downs enrolled at North Gwinnett High School and became a star almost immediately. He was called up to varsity as a freshman and became the teams leading receiver as a sophomore. Downs helped lead North Gwinnett to a 7A State championship with 63 catches for 1,019 yards and nine touchdowns.

Downs finished his high school career with 187 catches for 3,019 yards and 32 touchdowns. He earned All-State and All-County honors as a senior on the way to being a four-star recruit. Downs also lettered in basketball and track (twice), showing his athleticism extended beyond the gridiron.

Downs received offers from major programs like Ohio State, Michigan, and Tennessee. But with his father going to N.C. State, it seemed like a given Downs would follow in his footsteps. That was until Bly was hired to the North Carolina Tar Heels coaching staff.

"I was definitely an N.C. State kid,'' Downs told The Fayetteville Observer. "I kept up with everything N.C. State — football, basketball. But when my uncle got hired here (at UNC), everything changed.''

Downs gave the Tar Heels a second look and committed to head coach Mack Brown's squad. The Georgia star was heading to North Carolina to pursue his NFL dream.

Small Player Becomes Big Star

Downs enrolled early at North Carolina in January 2020, ready to work with his new team. While ranked as the No.17 wide receiver in his recruiting class, Downs faced an uphill battle to contribute to the Tar Heels right away. At 5'9" and 165 pounds, he was one of the smallest players on the team.

But Downs never let his size stop him from making an impact, and he was not about to let it hold him back now. He appeared in 10 games as a freshman, recording seven catches for 119 yards and three touchdowns. His first collegiate touchdown was against N.C. State, the school he almost attended.

Downs continued working hard throughout the offseason and was ready to become a star as he entered his sophomore campaign. Now a starter for the Tar Heels, Downs took the ACC by storm with 101 catches for 1,335 yards and eight touchdowns. He was named First-Team All-ACC, leading the conference in catches. Downs also broke the North Carolina single-season records for receptions and receiving yards.

After a record-breaking sophomore season, defenses were aware of Downs's talents and began to game plan to stop him. It did not matter, as Downs backed it up with 94 catches for 1,029 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior. He was once again named First-Team All-ACC and led the conference in catches.

"He's a phenomenal player,'' Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye said about Downs. "He's got a knack for getting open. ... He doesn't like being covered, so he's going to do his best and he usually finds a way to get open. So, just find No. 11.''

"(Downs) doesn't drop the ball, he can get open. They can't cover him man-to-man. It usually takes two (defenders),'' Brown said. "He's elusive and he's hard to tackle. And Josh is so competitive. If you're not throwing it to him most of the time he's mad because he wants the ball in his hands.''

Overall, Downs racked up an impressive 202 catches for 2,483 yards and 22 touchdowns in three seasons with the Tar Heels. He ranks third all-time in school history in catches, fourth in receiving yards, and second in touchdowns as one of the most productive receivers to ever play for the Tar Heels.

Downs had proven he could take over the college game, and now it was time to see what he could do at the next level. He decided to opt out of the Tar Heels' bowl game and enter the 2023 NFL Draft.

Impressing a Colts Legend

Downs turned his attention to the NFL draft. As a smaller wide receiver, he would need to impress teams with his route running and catching ability. He also needed to prove to teams that he could overcome his size at the next level.

The first major event in the draft process was the NFL Scouting Combine. Downs would have the chance to show off his abilities in front of all 32 NFL teams.

While measuring just under 5'9" and 171 pounds, Downs ran a nice 4.48 40-yard dash with a 38.5-inch vertical, showing speed and explosiveness. He was smooth in his routes and caught every ball that came his way.

As Downs was working on the field of Lucas Oil Stadium, he caught the eye of someone who made a name for himself on that very turf: Colts' wide receiver coach Reggie Wayne.

Downs recalled what the legendary Colts' wide receiver told him that day.

“I remember after I got done running my routes Reggie Wayne came up to me and he said it’s not even close and he told me I was the best receiver there in my group, and I had first-round guys in that group as well."

"I thought he was the best receiver at the (NFL) Combine," Wayne revealed after the draft. "I just think the way he ran his routes was effortless. It was smooth, and actually, what I saw at the Combine was not what I saw on tape. On tape, you kind of looked at him a little bit and things seemed a little bit more controlled. At the Combine, you saw his speed. You saw he could run.

"He stood out," Wayne continued. "He stood out and I put an asterisk by his name and then I came in my office and I really dove in deep and did my evaluations and I'm like, 'Man, this would be perfect.'"

Wayne went to general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen with his thoughts. The Colts already had their eye on Downs, but Wayne's endorsement pushed him toward the top of their board. Now the board would have to fall correctly.

Many considered Downs a second-round pick when the draft got underway. However, the wide receiver saw a small slide to the third round, with other receivers selected before him. By pick No.79, the Colts had the chance to grab their man. Downs was taken by the Colts, giving way to one of the best reactions of the entire draft.

Look how much it means to @JoshDowns. pic.twitter.com/q1xXlH0h2u
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) May 4, 2023

How Downs Helps the Colts

Before Downs, Ballard had never drafted a wide receiver with the Colts under 6'0" and 200 pounds. But Downs brings a unique skill set to the Colts' wide receiver room and gives Steichen an enticing weapon for his offense.

Downs is an incredible route runner who can get open against any coverage. He wins quickly at the line of scrimmage, allowing the quarterback to get him the ball before the rush closes in. He also thrives at finding holes in the defense when the play breaks down.

The best quality Downs possesses is his hands. While small in stature, he possesses a large catch radius and rarely drops a pass thrown his way. Downs's dependable hands make him a security blanket for any quarterback.

Downs will have the opportunity to grow in the NFL with his quarterback. Anthony Richardson, the Colts' first-round pick in this year's draft, has already begun to form a connection with Downs. The two got together to throw in the parking lot before their first-ever practice and plan to get together throughout the summer as they continue to build chemistry.

The last time the Colts drafted a quarterback in the first round and a wide receiver in the third round was in 2012, when they drafted Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton. Can Richardson and Downs have the same success together that Luck and Hilton had? Downs certainly hopes so.

"T.Y. Hilton is a legend," Downs said. "T.Y. Hilton is great. I hope to someday have that same status as him and make the Indianapolis Colts fans proud.”

If Downs can have a career like Hilton, Colts fans would be overjoyed. Downs would also hold bragging rights in his family with the most successful NFL career.

With the determination he has shown to get to this point, do not be surprised if Downs turns that dream into a reality.

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Published Jul 3, 2023

ANDREW MOORE

Andrew Moore is the Senior Analyst for Horseshoe Huddle and an Indianapolis Colts expert. Andrew is also the co-host of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast and the former co-host of A Colts Podcast.