Okay, let's talk about Caleb Downs.
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Few reasons.
First, three year studs tend to fall on draft day because they aren't gaining "momentum" ... they're just so good that the "expected" is no longer "wow" ...
Second ... The teams drafting ahead of us have literal major needs in many places and picking up Downs might be seen as luxury, even moreso than J Love ...
Because ...
Third ... Thienemann and McNeil-Warren are hot. I have seen drafts where Downs is not the first safety off the board, and one where 3 safeties go top 20.
Fourth ... testing googly eyes. McNeil Warren and Thienemann are both big, and are both going to jump out of the building from what I hear. Downs will be good, not great in testing. I may be wrong here, but I expect about a 4.48-4.52, and solid agility numbers with above average burst numbers but likely less than the other two I have in comparison.
I would say that the most likely team besides us to target him would be Washington. That makes sense. But so do a lot of other players there.
Chiefs if Love is gone? Maybe but they help in plenty of places.
So ... in my eyes, Downs is maybe the best safety I've graded. He's battling Earl Thomas for the best. Derwin James was close as well. We have players on the back end ... but I don't feel like we've had a leader since Ramsey left.
And I don't think we've had as smart a player since maybe Aeneas Williams.
I've watched him since his first games at Bama. Having him is like playing with 12 men. I'm pretty sure Saban was quoted as saying (in his last year there IIRC) he could play any position on D except DT, and any position on O except O line.
He has no injury history. He's probably the best player in the draft overall.
Anyway, just wanted to put that out there because the way I'm watching it fall ... he drops. If he blows up the combine this weekend then we don't have a shot. He could go at 2.
Anyone wanna add some thoughts here?
First, three year studs tend to fall on draft day because they aren't gaining "momentum" ... they're just so good that the "expected" is no longer "wow" ...
Second ... The teams drafting ahead of us have literal major needs in many places and picking up Downs might be seen as luxury, even moreso than J Love ...
Because ...
Third ... Thienemann and McNeil-Warren are hot. I have seen drafts where Downs is not the first safety off the board, and one where 3 safeties go top 20.
Fourth ... testing googly eyes. McNeil Warren and Thienemann are both big, and are both going to jump out of the building from what I hear. Downs will be good, not great in testing. I may be wrong here, but I expect about a 4.48-4.52, and solid agility numbers with above average burst numbers but likely less than the other two I have in comparison.
I would say that the most likely team besides us to target him would be Washington. That makes sense. But so do a lot of other players there.
Chiefs if Love is gone? Maybe but they help in plenty of places.
So ... in my eyes, Downs is maybe the best safety I've graded. He's battling Earl Thomas for the best. Derwin James was close as well. We have players on the back end ... but I don't feel like we've had a leader since Ramsey left.
And I don't think we've had as smart a player since maybe Aeneas Williams.
I've watched him since his first games at Bama. Having him is like playing with 12 men. I'm pretty sure Saban was quoted as saying (in his last year there IIRC) he could play any position on D except DT, and any position on O except O line.
He has no injury history. He's probably the best player in the draft overall.
Anyway, just wanted to put that out there because the way I'm watching it fall ... he drops. If he blows up the combine this weekend then we don't have a shot. He could go at 2.
Anyone wanna add some thoughts here?
