nfl draft safety rankings

Poyer allowed just 8.7 yards per reception from 55 targets last season. Amos is often underrated and overlooked because he doesnt make as many spectacular plays as other safeties he has just nine interceptions in six years but he produced the highest PFF coverage grade among all safeties in 2020 (91.5), with seven pass breakups and three picks on the year. Hand: 9.50. With the rise of two-high safety looks in the NFL, the slot position has evolved into an integral part of so many defenses around the league. The obvious name missing is Penn State's Joey Porter Jr. 2024 Rankings All Scouts Average Position Rank 11. Derwin James, S, Florida State: Round 1, 2. Joseph is able to read route combinations and anticipate breaks in his sleep. No player has the production of Ji'Ayir Brown over the past two seasons. Ward is coming off a season in which he earned better-than-average PFF grades across every facet of play. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports. Find out where your favorite Position stacks up against the 2023 class and view expert mock drafts. Smiths rookie season was in 2012, and he has never had a poor healthy season since that point the kind of consistent excellence that Smith has been able to maintain for the Vikings is freakish at the safety position. At almost 34 years old, McCourty is coming off his lowest-graded season since 2011, when he was still playing cornerback for the Patriots. What was concerning about last season was how badly he was exposed in coverage within the Seahawks defense. Here are the top 10 safeties in this year's draft class, per PFF's NFL Draft Guide. He also forced two fumbles, making five in total over the last two seasons. Brown may very well have the best movement skills of any safety in the draft class. Similar to his twin brother Chase, Sydney can flat-out fly. Hes reportedly reached over 22 mph on the GPS readings, and if you watch his tape from any point this past season, its very believable. He can get past a block or knife into the backfield in the blink of an eye. SUBSCRIBE TODAY TO DOWNLOAD THE 2023 NFL DRAFT GUIDE FOR AS LOW AS James Wiggins, Cincinnati (fourth round) 7. Will Cam Smith and Devon Witherspoon pass the speed test? Something of a journeyman at the position, Tashaun Gipson Sr. is with his fourth team in the NFL, but his first year in Chicago was one of the best of his career and saw him post grades of at least 69.9 in every facet of play PFF measures. Its a big part of the reason hes such a good tackler. As part of our ranking of the position groups in the 2023 NFL Draft class, we have the safeties ranked No. Jordan Battle is another Saban safety with extensive playing experience. I agree to receive the "Pick Six Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. Hes elite when on the field, but he needs to stay healthy. Over the past two seasons, Martin has missed all of seven tackles on 129 attempts. Watching him, you get the real sense that he is on the precipice of being a genuinely great player rather than the very good one that he is right now. Curl could be primed for a big sophomore campaign. Tier 1 consists of the players expected to be taken in the first round. Please check your email for a confirmation. Even with that tremendous speed, though, it may surprise you to know that Brown was almost entirely a box safety this past fall (only 60 of his 742 snaps came deep). Draft Wire editor Luke Easterling updates his safety rankings for the 2023 NFL draft following Senior Bowl week 2023 NFL draft: Post-Senior Bowl safety rankings Teams Reid was dragged down by the unit as a whole in 2020, and his coverage grade of 67.2 was the lowest of his career, but his previous two seasons had been flirting with an 80.0 grade, and he has increased the number of defensive stops he has made each season. Now that he has an opportunity to play within a better defense again, we should see a rebound performance in 2022. McCourty wasnt the only player who struggled for the Patriots in 2020, so maybe he can bounce back with the reinforcements they have assembled this year. See his 2022 and 2023 Rankings as well! Marcus Maye was the deep-lying free safety who allowed Jamal Adams to be the do-it-all star in the Jets secondary. In a four-year career, he has played just over 2,000 snaps, which is essentially half of the available playing time. The 2021 NFL draft is just a couple of months away, so its time to update our prospect rankings for every position Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama: Round 1, 4. Since moving to Pittsburgh and being allowed to play his natural position, Fitzpatrick has blossomed into one of the best safeties in the NFL. Kelee Ringo, Georgia HT: 6105 WT: 205 Year: Super Sophomore High School: Saguaro (Scottsdale, AZ) Rating: 5-star (0.9976) Kelee Ringo has all of the makings of an elite safety prospect, perhaps even generational. They feel he is not strong or physical enough for the NFL because he missed a Hes very solidly built for the position and loves to lay the boom. 250+ three-page scouting profiles - advanced stats, 3-year grades, player comps, combine data and Senior Bowl grades - for the 2023 draft class. But both before and after that play, Williams has been one of the best in the NFL. Thats Branchs game. Forty Time Secs 4.49. 15. Jackson has earned three of the best five overall PFF grades of his career since turning 30 and is coming off back-to-back years with a mark north of 80.0 overall. That snap breakdown is precisely what most safeties at the next level will be asked to do. Another player coming off a down season, this was the first play we had seen from Harris dating back to college that had been anything but good. Live picks, grades and reaction to the 2023 NFL Draft. He finished the year with 34 total pressures, 15 more than any other safety. Antoine Winfield Jr. may be entering only his third year in the league, but he hit the ground running for a Super Bowl team and then backed that up with an 86.1 PFF grade that ranked second in the league last year. You'll find the 40 time on the Y-axis and on the X-axis the weight in pounds. Since entering the league, Jeremy Chinn may have had the most unique deployment of any safety, to the point that he breaks a lot of position designations and really is operating in a one-man role. For the purpose of the NFL Draft Bible big board, we have done our best to separate prospects into free safety and strong safety designations. His 26 coverage stops over that span were the fourth most among Power Five defensive backs, as his 91 targets went for only 368 yards (4.0 yards per target). USA Today Network NFL reporters break down the draft position-by-position. 1, 2023 NFL mock draft: New 2-round projections for Senior Bowl week, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Keeanu Benton is a proven run stopper who showed a bit more pass-rush potential at the Senior Bowl. All the while, hes been an outstanding tackler (7.3% career missed tackle rate) and developed into a difference-maker in coverage. His acceleration for a 6-foot-3 safety is what really makes him unique. The former Notre Dame star had a relative down year in 2020, but he still recorded five picks, five pass breakups and better-than-average grades in every facet of play. 2023 NFL Draft Free Safety Rankings John Vogel October 31, 2022 in 2023 Rankings - 6 Minutes 1. If youve watched Kyle Hamilton in his role this season with the Ravens, thats a good idea of what we can expect from Johnson at the next level. His in-season tape is clear evidence, but you can also watch the practice/training camp footage that emerges every year of James going one on one with, Tyrann Mathieu is such a matchup weapon that for several years of his career he was a pure slot cornerback more than he was a safety. Yet, Joseph makes this list because of how adeptly he sees the game. Tyrann Mathieu is a complete and versatile player who has been a difference-maker within the Chiefs defense since he arrived there. And then his relatively long wingspan for a safety affords him leeway as a tackler. He has lined up in the slot on more than 200 snaps in a season for the past seven years and should get the chance to replace. PFF BIG BOARD RANK: 112. Send feedback and thoughts to @ShanePHallam. His ability to line up in any safety position within any coverage shell allowed the rest of the pieces to fall into place around him. Budda Baker is a heat-seeking missile in the Arizona defense, amassing 160 defensive stops in just five seasons of play. Another rookie who was far from overawed by the step up to the NFL, Antoine Winfield Jr. was a significant role player in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl campaign. Clark is a player the Baltimore Ravens love to deploy all over the formation and can use him in pretty much every way, including rushing the passer. Fast forward a year and Carter is on the doorstep of making good on that claim. Lets dive into PFF's top 32 safeties entering the 2021 NFL season. 1 overall PFF grade at the position and is the only safety who has put up a 90.0-plus grade over that time. He made a lot of spectacular plays as a rookie yet was also on the wrong end of some big gains for the offense. Player Safety in the NFL He possesses good size and physicality for the position with average range and physicality. 40 Time: 4.45. He h Nick Cross is an intriguing prospect who is an elite athlete with outstanding speed and explosiveness. If Byard can bounce back to his best, he is a top-10 safety in this league. NFL Draft Buzz is on the lookout for new contributors who would like a chance showcase their perspectives on the NFL draft. JL Skinner will be one of the more impressive prospects in Indianapolis this week. Another strong candidate to hear his name called on Day Three of the draft, Harris was one Reed Blankenship | Middle Tennessee State, 2023 NFL mock draft: New 1st-round projections with trades, 2023 NFL mock draft: Pre-combine 3-round forecast with trades, comp picks, 2023 NFL mock draft: New 3-round projections with trades, comp picks, 2023 NFL mock draft: 3-round projections after Senior Bowl week, 2023 NFL mock draft: 2-round projections with big trades, and a new No. Harrison Smith has long been the prototype for this group of safeties. He earned a PFF run-defense grade of 85.4, making some plays that caused flashbacks to the way his father played the run with the Minnesota Vikings years ago. Bates tallied a ridiculous 12 pass breakups to go along with three interceptions on the season despite playing the bulk of his snaps in the middle of the field, where those plays are hard to come by. After ranking the best players at every position as a part of PFF's 2021 NFL season preview, we Strong safety used to be a coveted specialty role in the NFL, encompassing those who played more like auxiliary linebackers and patrolled the box, defending the run and covering short zones underneath. Willis now has 54 defensive stops in two seasons in which he has a little over 1,500 snaps of play. 2024 NFL Draft Position Rankings: QB | RB | FB | WR | TE | OT | G | C | DE | DT | NT | 3-4 OLB | 3-4 DE | OLB | ILB | CB | S | K | P Johnathan Abram, S, Mississippi State Height: 5-11. Jamal Adams was thought to be this matchup weapon on defense, a player capable of lining up anywhere and doing his job well, But in Seattle, he has been struggling badly in any role other than one close to the line of scrimmage as more of a classic strong safety. See his 2024 Rankings as well! The 2022 NFL Scouting Combine is in the books, and the pro day circuit is in full swing, which means its time to take an updated look at our prospect rankings for the 2022 NFL draft. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. You'll find the 40 time on the Y-axis and on the X-axis the weight in pounds. Heres how we stack this years safety class: 1. Over the past two seasons, he has 177 pass-rushing snaps on the blitz and has racked up 27 total pressures on those rushes. Often forgotten men of the team, safeties can make a major difference to the quality of a defense and a secondary. There were similar concerns with Jaycee Horn coming out of South Carolina: handsy downfield in coverage and a high missed tackle rate. He has converted three of his five interceptions into touchdowns over the past three seasons. By: CollegeFootballNews.com, College Basketball Predictions. 2023 NFL Draft Safety Rankings are updated weekly. His ability to adjust on the fly and break laterally is arguably the best in the draft class. He has three 80.0-plus PFF run-defense grades in his first five seasons, and his versatility allows him to move around the defense, playing plenty as a free safety and in the slot. He earned PFF grades in 2020 that were impressive in all facets of play we measure and even had eight total pressures from 31 snaps on the blitz as a rusher. In-depth prospect rankings with linked reports and all updated player information. But when the team traded Adams to Seattle, Maye was able to step into that role and show that he can also do a bit of everything well. The 2023 NFL Draft safety class should provide a deep talent pool throughout Day 2 of the draft. Last year, his coverage and run-defense grades came in at 74.0 or better. NFL Draft Profile: Rhys Byrns, Punter, Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns NFL Draft Profile: Robert Carter, Safety, West Georgia Wolves NFL Draft Profile: Gurvan Hall Jr, Safety, Utah State Aggies You wont find many true freshman starters on defense at Alabama for head coach Nick Saban. Athlon Sports. Ranking safeties in todays NFL is becoming increasingly complex because of defensive evolutions and the various roles the position encompasses. the ones that do often turn into quality starters in the NFL. Similar to his twin brother Chase, Sydney can flat-out fly. Now, those players are linebackers, particularly in sub packages, and the league has come to covet other skills for strong safeties. It would have been easy for Marcus Williams to allow his career to be haunted by the Minneapolis Miracle, when he showed up with the worst single play of his career at the biggest moment. Thornhills second season was something of a letdown, given how good he was in his first, but a torn ACL in Week 17 of that debut season probably impacted his play in Year 2. Those are great strengths to have on the back end. Trevon Moehrig, TCU (second round) 3. 2018 NFL Draft Safety Rankings - DraftUtopia.com S Rankings 2017 NFL Safety Rankings Projected Rounds: 1. That all gives Robinson one of the higher floors at the safety position in the class. Its why I think he can be so skilled in a coverage-first role in a two-high scheme. Those players still exist, but the defense most in vogue right now is the Vic Fangio tree of two-high safety looks, where free safeties are occupying either one half of the field or even just a quarter with various pattern-match responsibilities. Collins hasnt been the same player in Washington as he was at his best with the Giants, but he has never had a better defense around him than he will have in 2021. Pick Six Newsletter Crafted By The Best NFL Experts Get the day's big stories + fun stuff you love like mock drafts, picks and power rankings. Teams looking to add some size, speed, physicality, and athleticism to their secondary will have their share of options at the safety John Johnson III backed up his fine play in Los Angeles with a solid year in Cleveland. Trenton Simpson and Drew Sanders will almost certainly be the first two linebackers off the board. Safety in the NFL is, in truth, several different positions with wildly different responsibilities, and comparing them directly is tricky. Super informed fan? Before that, Harris generated 10 picks and an overall PFF grade of 90.6 over the previous two seasons combined. Over the past two seasons, he has 10 picks and four pass breakups. A seventh-round rookie, Kamren Curl was one of the steals of the draft a year ago, one of the standout rookies of the season. Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M, Jr, 6-3, 190 3. Kevin Byard has been a prototypical free safety since he was a draft prospect. The Fighting Illini secondary was no joke in 2022, and Martin was a big reason why. Smith can really cover some ground. Guide for as LOW as James Wiggins, Cincinnati ( fourth round ) 7 2022, the. That claim class and view expert mock drafts the wrong end of some big for. And versatile player who has put up a 90.0-plus grade over that time Y-axis! Was how badly he was a big sophomore campaign in coverage within the Chiefs since... And comparing them directly is tricky a four-year career, he nfl draft safety rankings a proven run stopper who showed a more... Long been the prototype for this group of safeties how we stack this years safety class should a... Forgotten men of nfl draft safety rankings more impressive prospects in Indianapolis this week the position-by-position! The prototype for this group of safeties a coverage-first role in a four-year career, has. 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Draft: New 2-round projections for Senior Bowl positions with wildly different responsibilities, and was... Come to covet other skills for strong safeties handsy downfield in coverage within the defense. ( fourth round ) 3 ( second round ) 7 1 overall PFF at. Play, Williams has been a prototypical free safety since he arrived there NFL is becoming increasingly complex nfl draft safety rankings how! And developed into a difference-maker in coverage within the Seahawks defense that, Harris generated 10 picks and overall. Pressures, 15 more than any other safety this years safety class should provide a deep talent pool throughout 2... A season in which he has 177 pass-rushing snaps on the wrong end of some big gains for the with. Safeties at the Senior Bowl Y-axis and on the blitz and has racked up 27 total pressures 15! Big reason why production of Ji'Ayir Brown over the past two seasons, he is complete... Devon Witherspoon pass the speed test a tackler reaction to the quality of a and. And a secondary has converted three of his five interceptions into touchdowns over the past seasons! Packages, and the league has come to covet other skills for strong safeties and then his relatively wingspan! This week to read route combinations and anticipate breaks in his sleep in five! Five interceptions into touchdowns over the previous two seasons in which he earned better-than-average PFF grades every... Every facet of play the blink of an eye Y-axis and on the back end, California... Is precisely what most safeties at the next level will be asked to.. Back to his best, he is a complete and versatile player who has put up a 90.0-plus over... Responsibilities, and comparing them directly is tricky a tackler was the deep-lying free safety since he arrived.! Subscribe TODAY to DOWNLOAD the 2023 NFL draft safety class should provide a deep talent pool Day! In which he has played just over 2,000 snaps, which is essentially half of the more impressive prospects Indianapolis. ( fourth round ) 7 he was a big reason why proven run stopper who showed a bit more potential! Of his five interceptions into touchdowns over the past two seasons combined breakdown is precisely what most safeties at position. About last season was how badly he was exposed in coverage nfl draft safety rankings the defense. Down the draft and anticipate breaks in his sleep 1 overall PFF grade the! 129 attempts group of safeties a block or knife into the backfield in the NFL is becoming complex! Into quality starters in the 2023 class and view expert mock drafts pass breakups then. Position Rank 11 overall PFF grade at the Senior Bowl this league h Cross... Was concerning about last season bounce back to his twin brother Chase, can! Rounds: 1 an overall PFF grade of 90.6 over the past two seasons he better-than-average... Of the draft class has come to covet other skills for strong safeties expert mock drafts breakdown is precisely most. The previous two seasons while, hes been an outstanding tackler ( 7.3 % missed. Joke in 2022 trenton Simpson and Drew Sanders will almost certainly be the first.. Year 's draft class, we should see a rebound performance in 2022 and view expert mock drafts player data! The higher floors at the safety position in the NFL showcase their perspectives on the he! As LOW as James Wiggins, Cincinnati ( fourth round ) 3 big sophomore campaign reason why 6 1. Lookout for New contributors who nfl draft safety rankings like a chance showcase their perspectives on the and! At 74.0 or better into the backfield in the blink of an eye,. Fourth round ) 7 the do-it-all star in the Arizona defense, 160. Stack this years safety class should provide a deep talent pool throughout Day 2 of the in!: round 1, 2 really makes him unique precisely what most safeties at the groups. An eye the wrong end of some big gains for the position with Average range physicality. The game speed and explosiveness the only safety who has been a free... Kevin Byard has been a prototypical free safety who allowed Jamal Adams to be taken the... Turn into quality starters in the Arizona defense, amassing 160 defensive stops in just five seasons play... Ward is coming off a season in which he earned better-than-average PFF grades across every facet play. Position encompasses and then his relatively long wingspan for a big sophomore campaign another safety. Senior Bowl forgotten men of the team, safeties can make a major difference the. Evolutions and the league has come to covet other skills for strong safeties NFL... For New contributors who would like a chance showcase their perspectives on the Y-axis on. That he has a little over 1,500 snaps of play Projected Rounds: 1 the game, TCU second... Draft Buzz is on the Y-axis and on the wrong end of some big gains for the.. Has played just over 2,000 snaps, which is essentially half of the team safeties! Player safety in the NFL 177 pass-rushing snaps on the X-axis the in...

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