Tyrann Mathieu's Lofty Stat Projection for Cowboys' Caleb Downs Would Lock Up Award

Tyrann Mathieu is no different than the rest of us: he has massive expectations for Dallas Cowboys defensive back Caleb Downs.

Mathieu spoke on the Cowboys first-round pick during a recent episode of his "In The Bayou with Tyrann Mathieu" podcast and said he thinks Downs can record 100 tackles, three sacks and three interceptions during his rookie campaign.

And, as you'd expect with numbers like that, Downs will win the Defensive Rookie of the Year, Mathieu said.

“I think Caleb has a great shot to have 100 tackles, and to get three sacks and three interceptions," Mathieu said. "That’s sort of my expectation for him — and you know Jerry’s going to roll out the red carpet for him.”

"I think Caleb Downs... that's my pick to be Defensive Rookie of the "Year," he added.

Can Caleb Downs hit those stats?

Given all the hats he's going to where in Dallas' defense, we can definitely see Downs hitting Mathieu's lofty projection.

Downs is expected to play at nickel cornerback and strong safety, so he's going to be near the line of scrimmage plenty. That opens the door for him to pile up some sacks when asked to blitz.

And, playing near the line of scrimmage will also put him closer to the action when it comes to defending the run, so he'll be stacking tackles in that area on top of what he does in coverage.

Downs showed he had a nose for the football during his days in college, with the rookie defensive back posting two interceptions in each season.

Downs was also very sticky in coverage, as evidenced by his 87.0 Pro Football Focus coverage grade. That means Downs is going to be in position to make a play on the football often.

We'd be remiss if we didn't talk about the cerebral aspect of Downs' game that makes him even more dangerous.

Cowboys vice president of player personnel, Will McClay, perfectly summed up just how smart Downs is, and that will help keep him a step ahead of opposing defenses.

"He understands concepts," McClay said. "When you say what type of scheme you're gonna run, he understands how the different pieces work and fit together."

"He's a football savant because things just work that way in his head," McClay added.

While we definitely want to temper expectations with Downs, simply because you just never know how a rookie will transition into the NFL, it's hard not to be over-the-moon excited for Downs with everything he brings to the table.

And seeing a three-time Pro Bowl safety buying into the hype with Downs only makes us more confident he'll be a total game-changer for Dallas in 2026.

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