We are nearing draft month. The 2026 NFL Draft is less than 30 days away, and for the Baltimore Ravens, it couldn’t be more exciting. Baltimore’s scouting department always puts insane research in, and the work they put into it this year should be no different.
After a wild free agency, the Ravens' draft plans are becoming clearer. It feels like all signs are pointing towards offense in the first round. Wide receiver and interior offensive line are clearly their top needs. However, general manager Eric DeCosta lives and dies with the best player available strategy. If certain prospects fall, things could change.
According to NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, Ohio State’s Caleb Downs could be among the potential draft fallers.
“The safety position is tricky,” Jeremiah said. “I don’t know that you can say just lock it in, he’s a top five, he’s gonna go guaranteed even in the top 10. I would say the floor for me is probably the Cowboys at 12. Maybe more in that range.”
Downs is uber-talented, but Baltimore doesn’t need a safety at all. If he does fall, though, it could be difficult for DeCosta to pass on him, especially with Downs’ versatility. And if he selected Downs, that’d be a nightmare for Ravens fans.
Baltimore Ravens could be in striking distance for Caleb Downs and fans wouldn’t be happy with the pairing
Sure, Downs would be fun. The possibilities with Kyle Hamilton, Malaki Starks, and Caleb Downs would be endless. Hamilton playing wherever he feels like it, Downs playing in the box, and Starks handling centerfield duties would be electric. But that talent would be too much of a good thing.
In that scenario, it’d be three safeties drafted within the past five years, and four secondary selections in that stretch. It’s time to focus on adding help elsewhere.
The Ravens really can’t leave the first round without addressing the offensive side of the ball. They lost their Pro Bowl center, Tyler Linderbaum, in free agency, have major questions about their guard situation, and have yet to make any additions at wide receiver to complement Zay Flowers. If they even thought about drafting Downs leading up to draft night, it’d be a complete waste of time.
Thankfully, it sounds like Downs won’t make it past the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas picks at 12, and that was Jeremiah’s suggested floor. His belief that he could fall into that range is a scary enough thought to cause some worry in the minds of Baltimore fans, though. It’d be a horrendous outcome in the first round.
Downs is expected to be one of the most talented players to come out of this year’s draft. The Ravens would certainly improve if they were in a position to draft him, although it wouldn’t be a drastic improvement. They signed Jaylinn Hawkins this offseason, and between him, Hamilton, and Starks, that’s one of the best safety rooms in the NFL. Thankfully, Baltimore probably won’t entertain the thought of making Downs a Raven. The needs are just too pressing at other spots.