COLUMBUS, Ohio -- NFL personnel from teams holding early 2026 draft picks crowded the sideline inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center during Ohio State's pro day on March 25, watching Caleb Downs move from drill to drill. After the workout, with his arm around Buckeyes defensive coordinator and former NFL coach Matt Patricia, Downs addressed the same question those general managers have been contemplating: Is it worth taking a safety in the top 10?
"At the end of the day, it's about affecting the game," Downs answered. "Whoever affects the game the most should be picked the highest -- and I feel like I do it at the highest level."
The top 10 of the draft has long served as a barometer of how the league values positions -- and who it believes affects the game the most.
To no one's surprise, quarterbacks -- with the ball in their hands on every offensive play -- have gone in the top 10 more than any other position this century with 49 selections. After that, come offensive tackles (42 selections since 2000), who protect the quarterback, and edge rushers (38), who hit the quarterback. Not far behind are wide receivers (37), who catch the ball, and cornerbacks (25), who cover them.
Outside of interior offensive linemen and tight ends, no position on offense or defense has been selected in the top 10 less often than safeties, who traditionally line up farthest away from the quarterback before every snap.
Since 2000, only eight safeties have been selected in the top 10: Roy Williams (2002), Sean Taylor (2004), Michael Huff (2006), Donte Whitner (2006), LaRon Landry (2007), Eric Berry (2010), Mark Barron (2012) and, most recently, Jamal Adams (2017).
That's fewer than defensive tackles (22 selections), running backs (18), and even off-ball linebackers (14).
Illustration by ESPN In fact, since the start of the common draft era in 1967, only six safeties have been taken in the top five: Berry, Taylor, Eric Turner (1991), Bennie Blades (1988), Rickey Dixon (1988) and Kenny Easley (1981).
Safety has long been one of the NFL's most devalued positions -- in the draft, in free agency and in contract extensions. But Downs' versatility and impact are beginning to challenge conventional wisdom. The question facing teams picking early in this draft is whether Downs, an undeniable talent and one of the most complete safety prospects in years, is the kind of exception who should go in the top 10.
"When you draft in the NFL, you're always looking at who scores touchdowns and who prevents touchdowns with coverage, pass rush," said Patricia, a longtime New England Patriots assistant who was also head coach of the Detroit Lions. "But then on top of that, who's the face of your franchise? Who are you bringing in that's going to represent your ownership, your organization, everything that you want to embody as a team?"