草莓视频下载入口

(Editor's Note: Time to check the mail! The DallasCowboys.com staff writers answer your questions here in 'Mailbag' presented by Miller Lite.)

I am in no way suggesting that Caleb Downs isn't everything he is projected to be in terms of playmaking ability, football acumen, IQ and leadership, but I feel the brakes need to be tapped a little bit. Remember, he is a young rookie who will have to earn his stripes. Is it a worry that the expectations are through the roof? 鈥� Bradey Burton/State College, PA

Mickey: Well, you have point here, the expectations are indeed through the roof. But you know what, aren't they always when you are selected in the top half of the first round? And guess what, at every level, at every stop Caleb Downs has knocked it out of the part. Why his freshman year at Alabama under Nick Saban, and the stage doesn't get much bigger than that at 18 years old, Downs was selected SEC Freshman of the Year. Then he transfers to Ohio State after Saban retires, receives a $50,000 NIL deal and becomes a two-time unanimous All-American, plus a team captain. At 21 declares for the draft. Nothing has ever been too big for him and will let him answer your question for you. When asked how he will deal with the NFL stage being so big, he nonchalantly said, "I been on big stages before."

Tommy: It's fair to feel that way. You never really know how rookies are going to adapt to the NFL and how quickly they'll be able to do so too. I don't think it's fair to expect Caleb Downs to be an All-Pro in his rookie season, so I think the best way to frame it is by asking the question: What does a successful year look like for Downs in order to set those expectations?

I think the answer to that is pretty simple: Can his play raise the floor of the defense? Given how Dallas' unit played in 2025, that isn't a very high bar. Still, if Downs is making a noticeable impact on the game in the secondary, I think you check that off as a successful rookie season, even if he isn't an All-Pro or Pro Bowler right off the bat.

I think what gives people within the Cowboys organization and outside of it hope that Downs will acclimate himself quicker to the league than others is his football IQ and commitment to studying his opponent. I've said this many times on the Draft Show: I think Downs has been the smartest football player on the field in every single game he's played in his life. That may not be the case anymore, at least to begin with, and that's okay. That said, I don't think it will be long before he's at that point again, which is why there are such high expectations.