Three early offseason impressions, plus nine most-improved NFL teams

The Cowboys wanted Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. Badly. It wouldn’t be easy, since Dallas was drafting 12th and Downs was a top-five player. So … First, the Cowboys tried to trade up to No. 9 to get ahead of the Giants, but the Browns refused. Once John Harbaugh’s team passed on Downs in favor of tackle Francis Mauigoa, Dallas tried again. The second time was the charm. Miami moved down one spot in exchange for Dallas’ No. 12 and two fifth-round selections. Much like Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton in 2022, Downs feels like a sure thing. Reminder: Downs, drafted 11th, ranked No. 5 among Dane Brugler’s top 300 prospects. He and Tampa Bay’s Rueben Bain Jr. ended up being the biggest bargains in Dane’s top 10:Why is everyone so confident in Downs, though? He’s been elite at every level. He was a five-star recruit, impressed Nick Saban as an Alabama freshman, finished as the anchor of a loaded Ohio State defense and was “pound for pound the best player in the draft,” per my colleague Scott Dochterman.Advertisement