Dallas Cowboys fans are already buzzing about their No. 11 draft pick, Caleb Downs from Ohio State, and he's a clear Day 1 starter ready to get to work.
The Cowboys knew how badly they needed defense, considering last season they couldn't cover receivers or put pressure on the quarterback. The Joneses had their eye on the All-American safety months before the draft, but the Cowboys were never sure if a player of his talent would fall out of the top 10.
In ESPN's documentary, The Pick is In, the Cowboys were tested with a new, reduced clock from 10 minutes to eight, and as a fan, you can see the dire need to get a trade in and then pick Downs on time. It's one of the more dramatic sequences any Cowboys fan has witnessed.
New video shows Cowboys beat the clock in the nick of time to secure Caleb Downs on draft night
The @dallascowboys front office was fired up to trade up and go get Caleb Downs ⭐️
— NFL (@NFL) May 4, 2026
‘The Pick Is In’ now streaming on The ESPN App pic.twitter.com/yBedXnVtBB
At the 0:48 mark, the Cowboys called the Miami Dolphins to trade a fifth-round pick "plus something" to move up one spot to No. 11, but the Dolphins' assistant general manager, Kyle Smith, rejected the offer.
The Cowboys had a feeling other teams would be in to trade up for Downs, so Jerry Jones said he wanted to "up the ante" to ensure the Cowboys would be in the perfect position to get their dream draft pick.
Stephen Jones, the Cowboys EVP, called Miami again, and this time offered them two fifth-rounders to trade up to No. 11. The Dolphins accepted, but the Cowboys had just seconds to turn in their pick. Jones urgently pointed at the screen and said, "We got 10 seconds!"
The Cowboys turned in the Downs pick in time, and the Cowboys' executives all went nuts. It was stressful, but it turned out to be the biggest sigh of relief to an A+ draft night for America's Team.
What would've been the backup plan here if all failed? Draft Rueben Bain Jr. instead? It wouldn't have been horrible at all, but it would've been a generational fumble if the Cowboys didn't get the Downs pick off in time.
It was too close a call for the Cowboys, but in the end, they got their guy.
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