OXNARD, Calif. — Caleb Downs is getting his first real taste of what it means to be an NFL player and he can't get enough. The rookie 11th-overall pick has now experienced rookie minicamp, OTAs and mandatory minicamp, but none of those compare to what he'll experience in his first-ever training camp with the Dallas Cowboys.
The rubber meets the road in Oxnard, and the physicality is already ratcheted way up, as ordered by head coach Brian Schottenheimer. With the first two days of practice of his belt and padded practice firing up on Monday, Downs says bring it on.
"Yeah, I feel like every day things slow down just a little bit, and that's how it's supposed to be," the former Ohio State superstar said. "It's always positive to have the spring behind me, to be able to learn from what I did in the spring and make the adjustments that I need to and learn what I need to focus on. So, I'm excited for it, and we keep going from here."
Schottenheimer continues to praise the fact that Downs "never makes the same mistake twice", and the fact he lives in the playbook certainly helps that remain true. But it's also his ability on the field, and the fact he craves the game as much as he does studying it.
"Yeah, I mean, honestly, I'm a football player," he added. "So, 7-on-7 summer workouts, when there's no pads, that's good, but I like the real thing. I'm excited for when we put pads — I want to do everything like that, and I'm looking forward to it.
"I mean, it's [also] just film study. It's the same thing that I've been doing since I was a kid, just making sure that I'm watching everything that I need to watch, going from there and making sure that whenever it comes back, I'll make the play."
It goes without saying that the expectations for the Cowboys' as a whole are sky-high heading into 2026, following a list of headline moves to rebuild the defense, and one of those moves included trading up to guarantee Downs would be in Dallas for the foreseeable future.
As he continues to build toward his NFL debut at MetLife Stadium in Week 1, and under the watchful eye of new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, Downs understands the Super Bowl assignment quite clearly.
That said, speaking beyond his years, the 21-year-old also knows later has to be earned by what's done in the now.
"We are all pushing to win a Super Bowl but, at the end of the day, we can only have the best day today," he said. "We can't win the Super Bowl right now. We're just trying to have the best day that we can today, and that's the same thing for myself. I'm trying to accomplish my goals and be great in myself, and today is just about being great today. That's all I can focus on."
And exactly how great can he be for the Cowboys going forward?
"That's for me to know, and for you to find out," said Downs.
Don't worry, we will.
