John Harbaugh believes there’s a Hall-of-Fame worthy talent in the 2026 NFL draft class, and the New York Giants don’t have any red flags about potential injury concerns for the player worthy of being the fifth-overall pick.
Harbaugh “and area scout Brendan Prophet had an extended conversation with Caleb Downs at Ohio State’s Pro Day. The standout safety is in the discussion for the fifth pick,” according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
The latter also noted how “Harbaugh was there with a large contingent that included (among others) GM Joe Schoen, owner Chris Mara, player personnel director Tim McDonnell and assistant GM Brandon Brown” on Wednesday, March 25.
Any conversation between the Giants and Downs has significance because of how highly Harbaugh regards the safety. The man who spent 18 years as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens has already dubbed Downs a “potential future Hall of Fame safety,” during an appearance on “The Mike Francesca Podcast” back in February.
It’s lofty praise from an informed source, but the hype around Downs could be dimmed by any further chatter about his injury history. Talk he addressed during the Buckeyes’ pro day.
Fortunately, the Giants have already made their own assessment of Downs’ knee, and it’s a positive verdict.
Giants Not Fazed by Caleb Downs Injury Talk
Downs sought to ease any concerns about his injury history when speaking with reporters, including Matt Kellner of Ohio State Athletics. The 21-year-old explained, “That’s not what my medical says. That is what it is. I don’t really know who gave him that information, whoever that dude is, but it is what it is. So, I mean, just continue to do me. I can’t control what people say.”
Those words were a reference to a report originally from Cory Kinnan of Daft on Draft. The article is no longer found at its link, but it had detailed a “degenerative ACL” issue in Downs’ knee, a speculation since refuted by “a source close to Caleb Downs,” who told Raanan’s colleague Ryan Clark, “Multiple team doctors confirmed that they had no concern over his medical eval and his draft grade will not be affected at all with them.”
A similar assessment was also offered by ESPN’s Pat McAfee. He reported how numerous pro teams “told us that there is NOTHING in the medical that would deter them from brining him in.”
The Giants are among those NFL suitors for Downs not worried about his knee. That’s according to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, who revealed, “I haven’t heard of Downs’ knee causing any red flags for the Giants.”
Maybe the Giants aren’t worried because, as JP Finlay of NBC4 Sports noted, Downs “Missed 0 games in 3 years of college football.” Rather than listening to rumors, it sounds like the Giants instead prefer to follow the popular sentiment they will have Downs at or near the top of their board for Round 1.
He’s a good fit, based on Harbaugh’s history of building defenses around multi-faceted safeties.
John Harbaugh’s History Bodes Well for Safety Pick
Harbaugh knows the value of a safety who can perform multiple roles at every level of the field. He routinely had that type of playmaker on the back end in Baltimore, history detailed by Albert Breer of the MMQB.
Breer pointed out how “The Ravens defense that John Harbaugh helped reshape in Baltimore with Wink Martindale, and will have Dennard Wilson run in New York, leans on football-brilliant safeties (Eric Weddle, Kyle Hamilton) to bring schematic flexibility. Caleb Downs’ biggest strength: Football IQ.”
The Giants have had a hard time finding a safety who might fit the Harbaugh blueprint. High-priced free agent Jevon Holland couldn’t fit the bill after arriving last season, while even a prominent draft pick like 2024 second-rounder Tyler Nubin has failed to make the grade.