The New York Giants are being urged to make this "no-brainer" decision in the NFL Draft.
There are a whole lot of avenues the New York Giants can pursue with the No. 5 overall pick of the NFL Draft.
They can take a wide receiver. They can nab an offensive tackle. They can trade down and pick up more draft capital to fill out the roster.
They could also select Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs.
Downs is becoming a popular choice for the Giants in mock drafts as we inch closer and closer to April, and new head coach John Harbaugh made it clear that the star defensive back will be a top option if he is still available when New York is on the clock.
Harbaugh isn't the only one who feels that Downs would be a great fit in the Big Apple, as Chris Belcher of Bleav in Titans urged the Giants to select the 21-year-old during a recent appearance on the Valentine's Views podcast.
“Kyle Hamilton in four years has arguably become the best safety in the NFL and he did that under under a guy who knows a thing or two about being a great safety in the NFL. So I think Caleb Downs has all the talent in the world," Belcher said.
Belcher was referencing Harbaugh's experience with Ed Reed and Brian Dawkins in addition to Hamilton.
Caleb Downs. Credit: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images."I previously worked for CBS and I worked a lot in the high school recruiting and followed guys into college and Caleb Downs even in high school was just off the charts," Belcher added. "This guy’s going to be insane, and then he got to college and he proved everybody right."
The clincher then came when Belcher basically said that New York would be silly not to take Downs in the first round.
"So I think if if you’re looking for a spot in the secondary and you marry that with a Dennard Wilson, former safety, you marry that with that defensive coordinator, I think it’s a no-brainer for the Giants," Belcher said.
Downs began his collegiate career at Alabama, but spent just one season with the Crimson Tide in 2023 before transferring to Ohio State.
The Hoschton, Ga. native helped lead the Buckeyes to a national championship during his debut campaign in Columbus, registering 82 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, a couple of interceptions and six passes defended.
Downs then finished with 68 tackles, five tackles for loss, a sack and a pair of picks this past season.
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