During the spring months, NFL teams have their advance scouts visiting colleges for junior days and looking at the tape of the last season to put together a watch list for the next NFL Draft. The preseason watch lists are shared with the teams that are part of National Football Scouting or the Blesto scouting service. Looking at one of the preseason watch lists for NFL teams, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs received the highest grade of any defensive prospect for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Downs was a star recruit who landed at Alabama, and despite a lot of more experienced talent on the roster, Downs became a freshman starter for the Crimson Tide. Downs was a freshman sensation as he led the team in tackles and was all over the field for the Crimson Tide. He totaled 107 tackles with 3.5 tackles for a loss, one forced fumble, two interceptions, and three passes defended. After the season, head coach Nick Saban retired, and Downs transferred from Alabama to Ohio State. In 2024, Downs had 81 tackles with six passes broken up, one forced fumble, and two interceptions while helping the Buckeyes win a National Championship. In each season, Downs had a punt returned for a touchdown with long returns of 85 and 79 yards. Click here for a preseason scouting report on Downs.
The preseason grades are not set in stone, and scouts will forget them soon. In the 2018 preseason, Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray and Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams were not on the preseason watch list. Yet Murray became the No. 1 overall pick, and Williams went third a few months later. There have been other late-round projections, such as Joe Burrow, who ended up skyrocketing during the season. Other players had high preseason projections but were mid- or late-round picks months later. Thus, the value is more of a watch list over grades of players’ abilities. But entering the 2025 season, Downs is the highest-graded defensive prospect, and I have him going off the board quickly in my latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft.
