Former Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs is considered one of the top prospects in this year’s NFL draft. However, his draft stock took a massive hit after a recent report was published.

On Monday, draft reporter Cory Kinnan shared an article about what he heard during his time in Indianapolis for the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. When it came to Downs, he highlighted that the safety has some knee injury issues.

“Ending on a bummer here, I was told by an NFC scout thatt Ohio State all-class safety Caleb Downs had a couple of issues flagged during his medical check,” Kinnan wrote. “Nobody expected him to test this week anyway, so it flew a bit under the radar. However, I was told that Downs was flagged with a partially torn meniscus this week.

“That is not a serious concern, but also being flagged with a potentially degenerative ACL is. Now, this is not to signify any sort of a significant drop for Downs, who will likely return and get a second opinion and a check. Besides, plenty of NFL players have been flagged with degenerative knees before, but have gone on to have successful NFL careers.”

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While Kinnan believes that the injury concerns do not hamper Downs draft stock, an injury of this magnitude raises questions about a player’s longevity in the league. Thus, teams might become cautious about their decision to draft the former Ohio State safety.

Downs played his freshman campaign with Alabama before transferring to the Buckeyes in 2024. In four seasons, he recorded 257 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and six interceptions. The 2024 national champion is regarded as a first-round pick in this year’s draft.

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Mike Maycock is not sold on Caleb Downs as a top 10 pick

On Monday’s episode of the “Rich Eisen Show,” analyst Mike Maycock questioned Caleb Downs’ status as a top-10 pick in the upcoming draft.

“Caleb Downs, I love him as a player, but I don’t see him as that dymanic difference maker. I don’t see him as a top-10 pick,” Maycock said (Timestamp-4:25). “Don’t get me wrong, he is a hell of a football player. Okay, he’s a first-round safety. … I think he’s smart. I think he’s instinctive. I think he’s tough, he tackles, he can play in the box, he can play it free. So he does all these things. I don’t see as many dynamic plays on the ball as you’d like to see from a top-10 safety.”

Last season, Downs helped the Buckeyes make it to the quarterfinals of the playoffs while recording 68 total tackles, one sack, two interceptions and five tackles for loss. He was honored as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year for his performance.