FRISCO, Texas — Caleb Downs has worked at safety and in the slot through his first Dallas Cowboys camp. Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Wednesday that the rookie’s football IQ is one of the reasons the defense is coming to him this fast.
Downs is not a big player, and Schottenheimer traced the rest of it to his upbringing and his family.
“I mean, it’s the psyche for sure, the mindset,” Schottenheimer said. “I think that goes back to his upbringing, his family. But you don’t have to be big to be a great player. He’s a very powerful player, great lower body strength. So the ability to drop his weight in coverage, the ability to blitz, the ability to block, destruct, all those things are part of because he’s so strong from his lower body. But I would say that his mind and football IQ is certainly one of the reasons that he’s such a great player and why he’s picking up the defense so quickly.”
Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker wants to be in meetings and wants to do extra. He and Downs have spent a lot of time together since the spring.
“Christian’s one of those guys that he is wanting to be in meetings and wanting to be doing extra, and so they spend a lot of time together,” Schottenheimer explained. “You can see them before practice working together. And I think that’s important for any player, but certainly a young guy that has the high expectations of himself that Caleb does.”
Downs works incredibly hard and is very serious and very intentional, Schottenheimer said, and there is a thirst for knowledge he is trying to bring into his game.
What Dallas Gave Up for Caleb Downs
Dallas took Downs at No. 11 overall in April after trading up one spot with Miami for two 2026 fifth-round picks. He is listed at 6-foot. Dallas also used its second first-round pick, No. 23 overall, on UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence.
Dallas is running a 3-4 alignment after playing a 4-3 in 2025, when the Cowboys allowed 511 points and finished last in the league in scoring defense. The secondary also added Devin Moore in the fourth round, 114th overall out of Florida.
The Rest of Christian Parker’s Offseason Additions
Dallas rebuilt around Parker through the spring. The Cowboys traded for linebacker Dee Winters in April. He posted 101 combined tackles, five pass deflections, and an interception the season before. Weeks later, Dallas added edge rusher Rashan Gary by trade. Downs joined a secondary that already had DaRon Bland and Cobie Durant at cornerback and Malik Hooker and Jalen Thompson at safety.
The Cowboys spent the first three weeks of camp at River Ridge Playing Fields in Oxnard, California, and came home to The Star on Aug. 24. Tuesday and Wednesday nights were the two sessions open to fans.
Downs delivered an impression of Parker at the rookie skit night. Cowboys rookie defensive lineman Tommy Dunn cut him off before he could finish it, Schottenheimer said.
Downs and the Cowboys close the preseason against New Orleans on Friday at 7 p.m. CT at AT&T Stadium, on CBS locally. Rosters must be at 53 players by 5 p.m. CT Sunday, Aug. 30. The opener is Sunday, Sept. 13, at the New York Giants at 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC.
