No team had a bigger night in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft than the Ohio State Buckeyes. Head coach Ryan Day was able to see all four of his top-rated guys be selected within the first 11 picks of the draft, with Caleb Downs rounding it out as the No. 11 pick to the Dallas Cowboys.
The pick the Cowboys made in the first round ended up coming just a bit sooner as Dallas traded up from the No. 12 pick with the Miami Dolphins to ensure they got their guy. One of the best things though, about the NFL Draft is watching teams celebrate when they know they got their guy, and Dallas certainly put on a show when it came to Downs.
Watching Dallas trade picks in order to draft Caleb Downs is like a scene from a movie
It was honestly a surprise that Downs had fallen out of the Top 10 picks of the NFL Draft, but the order in which the Buckeyes were selected was also a bit of a surprise. Many believed that linebacker Arvell Reese would be the first to go, but instead, it was wide receiver Carnell Tate to the Tennessee Titans.
Downs has to be happy to be going to the Cowboys, though, especially watching them work so hard to secure him with their trade.
"Caleb, you're a cowboy!" 🤠@calebdowns | @ATT pic.twitter.com/p5cECrFzf1
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) April 24, 2026
Watching the clip of Dallas choosing to trade picks to secure Downs was something every Ohio State fan would love to see. It was clear Dallas knew if they didn't trade up the one spot, they believed they would lose Downs to Miami.
So, watching owner and GM Jerry Jones and his staff move quickly to make the trade was like a work of art. Then, seeing the staff celebrate as big as they did when it set in, they were going to actually get the steal of Downs that late in the draft had to make both him and every Ohio State fan jump for joy as well.
Downs will be heading a bit further South that what he is used to in Ohio, but the Cowboys believe they got a star on their hands, and Downs plans to be just that in Dallas.
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