Downs has been viewed as the centerpiece of Dallas' offseason work, and it appears all the hype was real.
When the Dallas Cowboys drafted Caleb Downs, that felt like the pivotal moment for the franchise, and perhaps the exclamation mark on their offseason work.
Seen as the exact type of person and player the defense needed, Downs, along with new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, is seen as the two pillars of hope that Cowboys Nation is clinging to in 2026.
With Downs' leadership ability, plus his on-field talent, some view him as the centerpiece of what Parker is trying to bring to life.
Caleb came to The Star with huge expectations, in part because the defense was so bad and because of the thought of what Downs could do, especially in the short term, to turn it around.
Coming to a new team with big expectations is one thing, but living up to them is another entirely.
So, has Downs been everything Dallas wanted?
"Yeah, he has," Parker said. "He's as advertised. We spent significant time with him before the draft process, we had a good feel on who he was and knew some people at Ohio State, at Alabama in terms of how he was on the day-to-day. He's been doing great. He's a worker, he looks for coaching, he craves that.
"He wants to be corrected. He wants more information. He works as hard as he can with the extras and everything else. He's been good to work with."
"As advertised'' - two hopeful words.
There is also another thread to pull.
Are we putting too much hope and excitement in a rookie to be the key difference-maker for the defense?
Don't forget, Downs, as good as he is, hasn't played an NFL snap yet, so there will be mistakes that happen early in the season. He isn't perfect.
And for Parker, he's wary of making too big a deal about how quickly Caleb can be "that" guy.
"I think that he's trying to advance at the right rate," Parker added. "I think that we try to lessen those expectations in terms of what goes on outside of these walls. There's a certain process to take as a rookie in general in the National Football League, and we try to abide by that process."
So the Cowboys know it won't be all smooth sailing for Downs, and, in truth, the defense as a whole will struggle at some point.
But so far? Caleb Downs is "as advertised.''
