The Dolphins need to pick safety Caleb Downs if he’s there. Here’s why
Nick Saban called him “one of the most complete people” that he ever coached. Matt Patricia said he will immediately be the smartest defender on whatever team drafts him. And at least one NFL general manager compared him to Earl Thomas and Eric Berry.
So why wouldn’t the Miami Dolphins want to draft safety Caleb Downs?
As the NFL Draft looms closer, there will be a lot of speculation about whom the Dolphins select with their No. 11 overall pick. The needs are enormous — cornerback, edge rusher, wide receiver, offensive linemen, safety, etc. — yet not everyone deserves that premium selection. That said, let the former Ohio State standout fall to the Dolphins and it would be a match made in heaven – the only question is will he still be there?
“You’re getting a really talented player, real smart player, that can come and make an impact on the field and in the facility to make a culture change,” Downs said when asked what he will bring to a franchise during the media portion of the NFL Combine.
For Miami, the appeal is obvious. New coach Jeff Hafley has already discussed that he runs his defenses from the safety down. At the NFL owner’s meeting, Hafley outlined what he wants on the back end, something that described Downs to a tee.
“Do we have a really good athlete who can run and cover a lot of ground and then is the other guy a big, more box guy who’s going to have to drop in, or do we have two guys who can kind of do both?” Hafley said. “Then you can play them right and left, you can play them field boundary, you can move them around.”
In terms of skill set, Hafley highlighted two important areas: IQ and tackling.
“At that position, intelligence and instincts are very important for me,” Hafley said. “I want guys who can think, think on their feet. I want guys who, as I call the game through those guys, can kind of react and communicate with me and tell me what they see and I kind of play the game within the game with the opposing quarterbacks with those guys. I want guys that understand the game, can think on their feet because they’re out there alone at that point and have good instincts. And then you’ve got to be a great tackler.”
Downs isn’t the biggest guy. At 6-foot, 205-pounds, his size doesn’t help if he’s lined up against bigger pass catchers, leaving him susceptible to losing jump balls yet his instincts are something that can’t be taught. Plus, a good defensive coach will train him on how to better use his body to affect the catchpointt.
A three-year starter at Alabama and Ohio State, Downs racked up 257 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss and six picks. What separates Downs is his ability to do nearly everything that Hafley described. He’s a great run defender who, although he can sometimes take poor pursuit angles and throw around his body haphazardly, can be a menace around the line of scrimmage.
If the opposing quarterback drops back to pass, Downs can be effective, as well. In man coverage, he stays sticky to the receiver and mirrors their moves to avoid being shaken on routes. He also has the unique ability to play in the slot but even outside in certain packages.
“Being able to play multiple positions is what makes people useful, makes people unique,” Downs said. “Being able to play in the box, being able to play in thee-deep part of the field, being able to play in the slot, nickel or dime — that’s what makes people unique.”
Zone coverage, however, can be where Downs has the most dominant. He can bait signal callers into passes then instantly close windows, resulting in either picks, pass breakups or even fumbles (consider what he did to Hurricanes receiver Malachi Toney in the third quarter of the Cotton Bowl).
Anyone who doubts that Hafley, who got his defensive start coaching the secondary, wouldn’t be thrilled with Downs needs to look no further than what he did with Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney. In his two years with Hafley, the star safety not only notched his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro nod, he racked up 10 picks, 21 pass deflections and two sacks. For context, McKinney had just nine interceptions, 27 pass breakups and 1.5 sacks in his first four seasons with the New York Giants.
If the NFL has taught viewers anything over the past few seasons, it’s that position value, although important, can’t come second to building a roster with players that can make an impact between. Downs just so happens to be one of those players. If he’s there, the Dolphins can’t afford to pass him up.
“At the end of the day, it’s about who’s the best defender,” Downs said. “It’s not really [about] positional value; it’s who affects the game. If you affect the game in a lot of ways, that’s the most important.”
