24/7 Sports ranked Josh Downs as a top-100 prospect entering college. He committed to North Carolina and played in a limited role as a true freshman. In four games, he caught seven passes for 19 yards and three touchdowns on an offense that featured Javonte Williams and Michael Carter, and 2021 NFL Draft picks Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome at wide receiver.
With all four of the aforementioned players departed from North Carolina the following season, Downs emerged as the Alpha Receiver in the offense. He caught 101 passes for 1,335 yards and eight touchdowns. The rest of the North Carolina offense combined for 136 receptions. The following season (his junior season), Downs put up a second consecutive 1,000 yard season with 11 receiving touchdowns. He ended his three-year career at North Carolina as a two-time First-Team All-ACC Player and entered the 2023 NFL Draft.
Downs ran a 4.48 (73rd-percentile) 40-yard Dash at the NFL Combine and was selected in the third round (3.16) by the Indianapolis Colts. Downs earned a 70.5-percent (No. 59) snap share in his rookie season, working primarily out of the slot (74.7-percent slot snaps). He started the year hot, recording four top-30 WR fantasy finishes in his first eight NFL games, but then fell off, WR43 being his best finish for the second half of the season.
