The Washington Commanders and New York Giants both passed on Downs in the draft, and don't think he hasn't taken that personally.
Ohio State's Caleb Downs falling to the Dallas Cowboys was seen as a huge coup for the NFC East franchise, as they got Christian Parker, a quarterback for his defense.
The Cowboys took Downs at No. 11 after trading up with the Miami Dolphins to ensure they got their player.
But for the Cowboys to take Downs, it meant several teams had to pass on him.
With fellow Buckeyes in Arvell Reese (No. 5) and Sonny Styles (No.7) going ahead of him, the Giants could have also taken Downs at No. 10, but passed in favor of offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa.
That move surprised the entire NFL world, with many thinking that New York would pair Downs with Reese. But the Giants passed twice.
We often hear stories of players taking it personally when teams pass on them, and they use it as fuel to push themselves to new heights.
And as head coach Brian Schottenheimer revealed on NFL Network, Caleb knows exactly what transpired and has the two games against Washington and New York circled in his calendar.
"Sonny Styles going to Washington, you have Arvell Reese going to the Giants, Caleb actually mentioned that [Friday] on the visit, like I'm making mental notes," Schottenheimer said. "So we're looking forward to those matchups against them."
It just adds another layer to the rivalries with the Commanders and Giants, although of late, it has been rather one-sided.
Downs will be making sure it stays that way, as the Giants must have seen something that made them pass on him, so too the Commanders, as they took Downs' teammates instead.
That has to sting, and going by Schottenheimer's comments, Downs has made it clear that he's ready for revenge when the Cowboys face off against their NFC East rivals.
Downs is seen as the centerpiece of Parker's defense, and no, he won't do it all himself, but we imagine that Caleb, who already has the playbook learned, will be a key piece of Christian's vision in 2026.
And when the time comes to face the Commanders and Giants, Downs will be a little more enthusiastic than other Cowboys players simply because he'll be facing two teams that looked at him and his body of work in college and said thanks but no thanks.