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AI Analysis Flags Slower Game Speed for Top Prospect Caleb Downs

Teams are treating the finding as guidance for how to use him, not as a reason to cut his draft value.

Overview

  • An ESPN report cited Teamworks executive Karim Kassam saying an AI review of game film rated Ohio State safety Caleb Downs slower than other top safeties.
  • Downs did not run the 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine, so there is no official straight-line time to balance against the tape and data.
  • Bleacher Report still ranks Downs as the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2026 class and projects him to the Giants at No. 5 in its latest mock draft.
  • Kassam said AI outputs are meant to inform how a team might deploy a player in the NFL, rather than replace judgments from traditional scouting.
  • Analysts have invoked Kyle Hamilton as context, noting his 4.59-second combine time helped push him to pick No. 14 in 2022, which shows how speed measures can sway draft perceptions.