Ohio
Five Best NFL Draft Landing Spots for Ohio State Safety Caleb Downs
There are prospects who fit systems. And then there are prospects who become the system.
Caleb Downs is firmly in the second category.
The reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Jim Thorpe Award winner, and Lott Trophy recipient has made one thing clear throughout the draft process: his value isn’t tied to position. It’s tied to impact.
“At the end of the day, it’s not safety, it’s who affects the game,” Downs said during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show. “If you affect the game in a lot of ways, that’s what’s most important.”
That mindset is exactly why his draft range has been so wide, and why multiple teams across the board make sense as landing spots.
1. New York Giants
If there’s a team that makes sense near the top of the draft, it’s the Giants.
They need help across the defense, and Downs offers an immediate solution in multiple areas. He’s not just filling a role. He’s elevating the entire unit.
“If you watch my film, you see that I’m affecting the game in the box, in the deep part of the field…whatever it takes,” Downs said at the NFL Combine.
New York could plug him in anywhere and build around his versatility from day one.
2. Kansas City Chiefs
This is where things get interesting. If Downs falls to No. 9, the Chiefs may ignore other needs to select one of the most talented players in the draft.
Instead of asking him to carry a defense, Kansas City could deploy him as a true chess piece within an already elite unit.
“I feel like I have a lot of versatility… to be used in different systems in a lot of different ways,” Downs said.
That freedom could unlock even more from his game.
3. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals sit just behind Kansas City at No. 10, and that positioning could force their hand. If Cincinnati views Downs as a true difference-maker, it may need to move ahead of the Chiefs to secure him.
And the fit is clear. Downs brings the type of versatility and processing ability that can immediately elevate a defense.
“My mind really puts me above a lot of people… how I process the game and play with instincts,” he said at the NFL Combine.
For a team looking to strengthen the back end and add a playmaker, Downs offers both immediate impact and long-term stability.
4. Dallas Cowboys
Dallas has built its defense around speed, versatility, and playmaking. Caleb Downs fits that identity immediately.
The Cowboys hold picks No. 12 and No. 20, and while Downs will almost certainly not be available at either spot, they have the flexibility to package one or both selections in a move to land the Ohio State star.
That kind of aggressiveness would make sense for a team looking to add another difference-maker on the back end.
“If you affect the game in a lot of ways, that’s what’s most important,” Downs said during the pre-draft process.
Whether it’s setting the tone physically, rotating over the top, or creating turnovers, Downs brings the type of impact Dallas prioritizes defensively. For a team already built on speed and disruption, adding a player like Caleb could take that unit to another level.
5. Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers would likely have to move up, but Downs feels like a natural fit for what Jim Harbaugh is building in Los Angeles.
This is a team searching for consistency and identity on defense, and Downs brings both. His ability to move across the formation, process quickly, and impact the game in multiple ways would give the Chargers a foundational piece on the back end.
“Wherever I end up…I’m going to make it work,” he said.
Ohio
Mary Lucille Young, Youngstown, Ohio
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) – Mrs. Mary Lucille Young, 74, of Youngstown, departed this life on Friday, April 10, 2026 at her residence where God welcomed her home.
Mary, affectionately known as “Mary Lou” and “Tang”, was born March 8, 1952 in Youngstown, a daughter of Lawrence and Ada Mae Alexander Hamilton Young.
She was a proud 1971 graduate of South High School.
Mary was a member of New Bethel Baptist Church.
She attended Louis Weinberger Hill Beauty School, and was accepted as a model with Barbizon Modeling Agency.
Mary worked and retired from Youngstown Sheet and Tube.
She enjoyed looking her best, dancing, shopping, casinos and decorating her home. Mary was strong, bold and took no mess. She was loved by many people.
She leaves to cherish her memories, her pride and joy, two daughters, Adalatesha Bright and Richlynn Bright; two sons, Ja-Juan Young and Dr. Ty-Juan Bright all of Youngstown; five grandchildren; two sisters, Cynthia (Floyd) Davis, Janet (Steve) Gardner both of Youngstown; and a host of family and friends.
Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by a son, Michael Lamar Young; three brothers, Isaiah, Edward, Lorenzo Young.
Private services were held at the L.E. Black, Phillips & Holden Funeral Home.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mary Lucille Young, please visit our floral store.
Ohio
NWSL announces expansion to Columbus, Ohio
The NWSL is once again expanding, this time the league is heading to Ohio where Columbus NWSL 2028 will take the field. Of course, Columbus NWSL 2028 is a placeholder for now and the the new team will unveil its name, crest, and uniform to build an identity around as it approaches its first season.
News of the club was announced yesterday, though this has been in the works for some time, in a press conference. Team owners, the Haslam Sports Group (HSG), Nationwide and Drs. Christine and Pete Edwards, spoke about what they hope the club will bring to Columbus and women’s soccer more broadly.
“Our family is thrilled to help bring an NWSL team to Columbus and further invest in Ohio, with the honor of bringing the 18th team into the league,” said Haslam Sports Group Managing Partner Whitney Haslam Johnson. “We believe in the power of women’s sports and are humbled to be part of the number one women’s soccer league in the world.”
Nationwide insurance has been a corporate partner in both NWSL and MLS for years and now joins an ownership group deepening those ties. “Today’s announcement is about inspiring young athletes across Central Ohio, elevating women’s professional sports and reminding the world that Columbus is a first-class sports city,” said Kirt Walker, Nationwide Chief Executive Officer. “As Nationwide marks 100 years, this is a powerful way to celebrate our milestone with the community that has been our home from the very beginning.”
The Edwards family has deep roots in the Columbus soccer scene with Dr. Pete Edwards serving as team doctor for the Crew in 1996 and the family joining the team’s ownership in 2019 during the Save The Crew effort. “Columbus is very important to our family. For over 30 years, we’ve supported the Columbus Crew and MLS. We’ve seen how a men’s professional soccer team has brought people together and created a positive impact in our community. It’s truly special to now welcome an NWSL club and the incredible women athletes who will also uplift our city on and off the pitch,” said Dr. Christine Edwards. “We’re very excited to partner with Haslam Sports Group and Nationwide for NWSL Columbus 2028, and we can’t wait to share even more memorable moments with fans, especially during the Club’s first game at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.”
The NWSL has continued its expansion with the announcement and the team will join Atlanta in its inaugural season in two years.
Ohio
Ex-Ohio State president Ted Carter’s girlfriend would sneak through campus garage to get to his office, report reveals
Disgraced ex-Ohio State President Ted Carter repeatedly snuck his alleged failing podcaster lover through a campus garage for secret visits to his office as he funneled university resources into her business ventures, a shocking new report claims.
The report into the circumstances behind Carter’s abrupt exit from his cushy $1.5 million-a-year role last month detailed his secret office rendezvous with Krisanthe Vlachos, host of “The Callout Podcast,” and at least five trips he took with her.
The duo jetted off to Richmond, Virginia; Orlando, Florida; Kansas City, Missouri; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Las Vegas – with the married 66-year-old allegedly cooking up a fake business excuse for one trip, the report released Tuesday by the college found.
One social media post showed the pair at a Colorado Springs conference in January, with the ex-prez smiling next to Vlachos, who is clad in an all-black leather getup.
Carter – married to Lynda Carter for nearly 45 years – admitted giving Vlachos “inappropriate access” to university leadership and public resources to boost her private business when he voluntarily resigned.
The probe found he tapped at least 14 staffers to help his purported paramour, who hosted a veteran-focused podcast, including efforts to score her a university job, campus space, support staff, and financial backing from the school and outside agencies like JobsOhio for different business ventures.
“Carter’s actions betrayed Ohio State’s shared values and violated university policy,” the 47-page report said, adding his “wide-ranging” efforts dragged on for almost two years.
“Carter had a close personal and business relationship with Vlachos and he allowed that relationship to improperly influence his actions and impair his judgement.”
JobsOhio shelled out $60,000 to the prexy’s reported flame to produce four podcast episodes about veteran issues – though only one was completed, the agency said last month.
The company, which said its decision to invest was driven by Carter’s recommendation, is now trying to “clawback” the funds after all of Vlacho’s poorly performing podcast episodes were hastily removed from YouTube and other streamers when the scandal erupted.
Carter – who served as a Top Gun pilot and instructor during 38 years in the Navy – admitted in one episode he was a “frequent flyer” on the floundering show, appearing as a guest at least nine times since 2024.
JobsOhio also dished out $10,000 to sponsor a January 2025 event for vets and military families at Ohio State, calling it an “opportunity that Ms. Vlachos brought our attention.”
The agency’s handouts for Vlachos came to an end after she requested a $2.9 million investment in her proposed mobile app, which aimed to help Ohio veterans get jobs.
An Ohio State spokesman previously confirmed officials were investigating an LLC registered to Vlachos at a university-owned building, in connection with the ex-leader’s departure.
Carter and Vlachos have not responded publicly to the relationship allegations.
With Post wires.
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