Caleb Downs doesn't play a premium position and he's entering the NFL draft with a possible knee injury. But he's so good it might not even matter.The former Ohio State safety by way of Alabama is projected as a fringe top-10 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. Downs, who didn't miss any time with the Crimson Tide or the Buckeyes due to knee issues, has been flagged as having a partially torn meniscus and a degenerative ACL.REQUIRED READING: NFL mock draft: 5 scenarios for top 10 picks after Giants big-ticket tradeThose claims, however, have been largely unsubstantiated, with Downs himself seeming confused by the source."Nothing," Downs told media in March when the injury was initially reported.
"I mean, really, they already answered it. Pat McAfee put out a statement about it. That’s not what my medical says, so it is what it is.
I don’t really know who gave him that information, whoever that dude is. But it is what it is. I’m just gonna continue to do me.
I can’t control what people say."NFL teams, of course, are borderline surveillance investigators when it comes to finding out issues pre-draft. So if the claims are fabricated, it's likely to have no effect on his stock. As it stands, Downs is still perceived as a high-first round pick, so no one seems too spooked by the so-called injury just yet.Does Caleb Downs have a knee injury?Despite claims Downs has a partially torn meniscus and a potentially degenerative ACL, there is no evidence to support he is actually hurt.Downs has downplayed the reports of a knee condition, and his draft stock largely has not been impacted.
However, more information on his medicals may become available after he's drafted.Caleb Downs mock draftUSA TODAY Sports' Jacob Camenker has Downs going in the top-10 in any situation. Camenker picked Downs to go either No. 5 or No. 10 to the New York Giants, depending on how things unfold.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Caleb Downs prepares for NFL draft as questions around knee swirl