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The Dallas Cowboys made Caleb Downs the first safety selected in the 2026 NFL Draft for his ability to make an impact all over the secondary. But at Tuesday’s minicamp session, the Cowboys had Downs taking on even more responsibilities.
The rookie found himself involved special teams drills throughout the practice. Dallas wanted to see how Downs would do both receiving and blocking on punts, via Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News.
“Caleb Downs fielded some punts along with Jordan Hudson, KaVontae Turpin, Camden Brown and Traeshon Holden,” Watkins wrote. “Downs also some reps as a punt protector.
Still early in minicamp, there is no guarantee Downs will play special teams when the regular season rolls around. He is expected to be a crucial part of the defense and the Cowboys may not want to risk injury.
At the same time though, Dallas knows they need improvement across their roster. Downs is a Swiss army knife who has excelled at essentially everything he has done on the gridiron. Perhaps they think they can boost both their defense and special teams.
When it comes to playing safety, the Cowboys are relying on Downs’ contributions. Dallas finished the 2025 season ranked 30th in total defense, allowing 377 yards per game. Downs on the other hand was busy being named a Unanimous All-American and winning both the Lott Trophy and Jim Thorpe Award.
The safety won’t be able to do it all alone. However, he has now become a building block for the Cowboys’ defense for the foreseeable future. Perhaps he’ll be doing the same on special teams too.
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