The Dallas Cowboys recently got training camp underway as they prepare for the upcoming 2026 NFL season. The Cowboys are hoping that the defense will be able to catch up to the offense this year, after that unit struggled immensely during the 2025 season, in which Dallas missed the playoffs for the second straight year.
The Cowboys made immense strides to improve the defense this offseason, using both of their first-round draft picks on that side of the ball, including selecting safety Caleb Downs out of Ohio State with their first pick.
Recently, Robert Mays of The Athletic Football Show broke down what he’s seen from Downs so far at training camp.
“He has played pretty much exclusively at nickel so far for the first couple of days. They want to keep his scope fairly limited to start before sprinkling him in at safety and figuring out how they’re going to use him if he’s not at that spot. If he’s one of the best 11, he’ll be on the field all the time,” he said, per The Athletic Football Show on YouTube.
“The questions that he’s asking are advanced for a rookie,” he added, noting that the Cowboys will find a way to implement him in any coverage necessary if he proves worthy of being in the starting unit.
Downs spent the early portion of his college career at the University of Alabama before transferring to Ohio State and helping the Buckeyes win a championship during the 2024 season. Now, he will look to help resurrect a Cowboys defense that was just as putrid as the offense was impressive last season.
The Cowboys are slated to kick off their new campaign on September 13 on the road vs the New York Giants.
The Dallas Cowboys recently got training camp underway as they prepare for the upcoming 2026 NFL season. The Cowboys are hoping that the defense will be able to catch up to the offense this year, after that unit struggled immensely during the 2025 season, in which Dallas missed the playoffs for the second straight year.
