Giants: Is Caleb Downs the next Kyle Hamilton for John Harbaugh?

The John Harbaugh revolution has officially taken hold of the New York Giants’ front office. With the hiring of Dennard Wilson as defensive coordinator, the defense is set to undergo a transformation.

As the Giants sit with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the dots aren’t just connecting; they’re practically forming a map straight to Columbus, Ohio. The buzz around Ohio State safety Caleb Downs has reached a fever pitch, as he fits the exact chess piece prototype that Harbaugh and Wilson used to turn Kyle Hamilton into an All-Pro juggernaut.

For a team that has spent years searching for a true defensive identity, Downs represents the ultimate Harbaugh player: a high-IQ, physically dominant eraser who can fix multiple holes with a single draft card.

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Caleb Downs: John Harbaugh’s Next Kyle Hamilton?

The comparison between Caleb Downs and Kyle Hamilton is rooted in the specific schematic DNA of Harbaugh and Wilson. During their 2023 stint together in Baltimore, Wilson served as the defensive backs coach while Hamilton exploded for 81 tackles, 13 pass deflections, and 4 interceptions, earning his first Pro Bowl nod.

Hamilton’s success was predicated on his ability to play in the box, the slot, and as a deep safety—a positionless role very similar to the one Downs has played at Ohio State (and at Alabama prior to his transfer to OSU).

Downs finished the 2025 season with an elite 87.6 overall PFF grade, showcasing elite versatility by logging significant snaps at deep safety (393), in the box (339), and at slot corner (160).

Hamilton entered the league as a blue-chip and rare safety prospect, standing at a massive 6’4″ and 220 pounds, which allowed him to function as a de facto linebacker in the box while maintaining elite range.

In contrast, Caleb Downs is a more traditional safety build at 6’0″ and 205 pounds, but he arguably possesses a higher floor in pure man-to-man coverage.

While Hamilton’s Notre Dame production was predicated on rare length and ball-hawking, Downs has been a statistical machine across two different power-house programs, amassing 257 career tackles and maintaining an 85.0+ PFF grade in three consecutive collegiate seasons.

Stats That Demand Top-5 Value

While some traditionalists balk at taking a safety in the top five due to positional value, Downs provides blue-chip production that justifies the investment. In 2025, Downs was a statistical anomaly, allowing a 54.5 passer rating when targeted and surrendering zero touchdowns over the entire campaign.

His 89.6 coverage grade makes him the premier safety in the 2026 class, but it’s his 83.7 run-defense grade that will make Harbaugh and Wilson salivate. The Giants’ defense ranked 31st against the run in 2025.

The Giants are looking for players who can play aggressively and be enforcers against the run. Downs’s ability to meet ball carriers around the line of scrimmage ensures the Giants’ defense stays aggressive and downhill.

Redefining the Giants’ Secondary

If general manager Joe Schoen pulls the trigger on Downs at No. 5, it would be a massive boost for both the Giants’ run defense and pass coverage.

Drafting Downs would give Dennard Wilson a young, athletic pillar to build his disguise-heavy, aggressive coverage scheme around. Drafting Downs is about securing the brain of the defense and adding a matchup nightmare/Swiss Army Knife to the secondary that can aid in pass coverage and run support, as Hamilton has for Baltimore.

Downs has an NFL lineage and a connection to Big Blue, as his father, Gary, played for the Giants in the 90s. Caleb Downs could be the perfect culture carrier to lead the locker room while providing the elite range and run support needed to transform the Giants’ defense as early as his rookie season.