Travis Kelce’s Chiefs tied to Giants coach John Harbaugh’s top 2026 draft prospect (Image via Getty: New York Giants logo and Kansas City Chiefs logo)
A month back, New York Post’s Steve Serby projected Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs for the New York Giants. Serby called him “playmaker, culture-setter, leader,” and “arguably the best player in the draft.
” He added that New York coach John Harbaugh, too, cannot resist Downs, and the safety could be his new Kyle Hamilton [Baltimore Ravens safety].As of present, the Travis Kelce-led Kansas City Chiefs have been thoroughly linked to the Ohio State safety. SB Nation’s Jeremy Reisman suggests the Chiefs need help at cornerback after they lost Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson to the Matthew Stafford-led Los Angeles Rams. They also lost safety Bryan Cook to the Joe Burrow-led Cincinnati Bengals. So, if they need help to fill in two roles at once, Downs could be their top 2026 draft prospect. How? Let’s find out.
2026 NFL Mock Draft: Travis Kelce ’s Kansas City Chiefs tied to John Harbaugh’s admired Ohio State safety Caleb Downs
Reisman reports that Downs plays several roles on the gridiron: box safety, two-high safety, nickel cornerback, and an extra linebacker in the box. He is projected to be a Day 1 starter for any franchise in the NFL. He is an excellent tackler and blitzer, with the fluidity of a cornerback.
The Ohio State alum is a Swiss Army Knife who shines in all aspects needed for a safety to shine. If he stays healthy, he could run for DROY [Defensive Rookie of the Year] and become the defensive centerpiece for Kansas City for the next decade to come. Sports Illustrated’s Jared Feinberg projects the 6-foot, 206-pounder for the Chiefs as a first-round, 9th overall pick. He is one of the best players in the entire draft class, with gifted and superior talent.
He has rare football IQ and instincts that can be paired with elite athleticism. He could make the entire Kansas City defense better, irrespective of his positional value.These were Downs’ projections for Andy Reid’s franchise; now, let’s check out the New York Giants’ side.
John Harbaugh predicted to pick Caleb Downs at fifth overall
Back in February, John Harbaugh said on The Mike Francesa Podcast that his franchise favors Hall of Fame safeties, so if they could draft a potential future Hall of Fame safety in Caleb Downs, it’d be fine with him.The Giants have the 5th overall pick, and it’d be the highest pick ever as a head coach for Harbaugh after Donovan McNabb. McNabb was drafted as first-round, 2nd overall pick when Harbaugh was an assistant coach for Andy Reid in the Philadelphia Eagles in 1999. The coach is excited to draft a high pick, and Downs would be fine for him. He said he would take him in a second. This was in February. A month later, analysts are still linking the two. Giants.com’s Matt Citak predicts Sonny Styles or Caleb Downs for New York. The analyst wrote that the Giants would be picking the best players available at 5 and 37. They both could be defensive players. But No. 5 is a defensive player, and the second-round pick is an offensive player.Harbaugh emphasized that he would want to run the ball and stop the run. When it comes to stopping the run, Styles or Downs could help, and an interior offensive lineman at No.
37 could help run the ball. New York may draft an O-lineman or wide receiver at 37. So, there’s that fifth overall connection of Harbaugh.It remains to be seen whether the Chiefs will target Caleb Downs in the draft, as they just signed former Titans cornerback Kaiir Elam. Alternatively, John Harbaugh’s Giants could pursue Downs at No. 5 overall, given the coach’s vocal appreciation for the top-tier safety. There is also a possibility of Jerry Jones’ Dallas Cowboys showing heavy interest to bolster their secondary. Which franchise would it be? Only time will tell…
