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. 2021 NFL Draft: Safety Rankings. From the college perspective, here are the best safety prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft. 2,909 career snaps to his name, Robinson has been an excellent tackler. At almost 34 years old, McCourty is coming off his lowest-graded season since 2011, when he was still playing cornerback for the Patriots. Clark is good enough at everything to be the kind of versatility player the Ravens covet in their secondary. * No. Antonio Johnson's season was not as inspiring as the 2021 campaign, but he has a versatile skill set. That marked his third career 80.0-plus coverage grade, and it was also the third time he was aligned at free safety for more than 600 snaps over a season. Now he is a year removed from that injury, and a return to that PFF coverage grade of 78.0 or better this season would see Thornhill likely even climb higher on this list. Having a slot player who can fill in in run support with authority makes defensive coordinators far more comfortable taking their safeties out of the box. 2023 NFL Draft Strong Safety Rankings John Vogel October 27, 2022 in 2023 Rankings - 9 Minutes 1. Felix Anudike-Uzomah has 19.5 sacks over the past two years, but more impressive is the ball production. Hes been starting since he was a true freshman at South Carolina in 2019 and now has 2,909 career snaps to his name. In 2021, Harrison should be surrounded by a dramatically improved supporting cast and able to build on the overall PFF grade of 76.6 he posted in limited snaps last year. Please check your email for a confirmation. Curl could be primed for a big sophomore campaign. Byards play has dropped off recently after two seasons of spectacular PFF grades above 85.0. 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. You'll find the 40 time on the Y-axis and on the X-axis the weight in pounds. As part of Athlon Sports' 2020 NFL Draft Guide, we have ranked each position, including 45 total safeties. The fact that Martin also has 851 snaps at outside cornerback in his career most coming as a freshman and sophomore is icing on the cake for his pro projection. Over the past two seasons, he has 177 pass-rushing snaps on the blitz and has racked up 27 total pressures on those rushes. The 2023 Senior Bowl is officially in the books, and after another revelatory week of action in Mobile, its time to update our prospect rankings for each position group in the 2023 NFL draft class. Ward struggled early in his NFL career despite entering the league with the prestige of a first-round pick, but the last two seasons have seen him at his best. Alabama head coach Nick Saban entrusted Branch with a significant share of the responsibility in that scheme. Here are the top 10 safeties in this year's draft class, per PFF's NFL Draft Guide. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nfl | pageType: stories | Brown racked up six picks and six pass breakups in large part due to that make-up speed, but also because hes an all-around fluid athlete in space. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Kyzir White, S, West Virginia: Round 2, 6. Yet, Joseph makes this list because of how adeptly he sees the game. Just behind his teammate is Poyer, a similarly versatile safety who allows the Bills to run any kind of coverage shell they want to. That size does show up at points as a tackler, though. Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer each fit into this category for the Buffalo Bills and together may form the best safety duo in the league. Armani Watts, S, Texas A&M: Round He also forced two fumbles, making five in total over the last two seasons. Jackson had one of the best seasons we have ever seen at the safety position back in 2018, earning an overall PFF grade of 93.2 and a coverage grade of 94.7, but since Vic Fangio left town to coach the Broncos, Jacksons elite play has evaporated and he has posted seasons of 67.0 and 59.5 in terms of PFF grade. The Florida State product posted an overall PFF grade of 87.8 as a rookie, but he has played just 299 total snaps in the two seasons since. Some of these players could fit more than one of these buckets, and in fact have throughout their careers, but this is where they sit right now based on the past couple of seasons. Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans free safety Kevin Byard (31) takes the field before the game against the New Orleans Saints at Nissan Stadium. Weight: 205. Hes extremely steady and rarely caught out of control. He has eight forced fumbles over the past two seasons; a few pass rushers to have equally impressive forced fumble rates were Josh Allen and Brian Burns. On average, the league has been very consistent, drafting approximately 20 safeties per year over the past decade. This has been true for a long time, but it seems to be getting more extreme. Keeanu Benton is a proven run stopper who showed a bit more pass-rush potential at the Senior Bowl. While lacking splash plays, he is consistently in the right place at the right time and grades very well in all facets of the game. Mathieu hasnt been at his best for a few years now, but his alignment versatility makes him incredibly valuable to any defense. Buffalo runs a scheme that puts them in position to succeed, but they take advantage of it extremely well on their own. Hes one of the best true backend players in the draft class. 1 overall PFF grade at the position and is the only safety who has put up a 90.0-plus grade over that time. This site is not endorsed by, sponsored by, or affiliated with these schools or teams. Even the players on this list need to have more strings to their bow than simply stuffing the run from heavy formations. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. He was one of the most reliable slot defenders in the country, especially in tracking down ball carriers. Jaquan Brisker is a SS prospect in the 2022 draft class. His ability to get sideline to sideline, as well as downhill in the run game from a deep alignment, will serve him well at the next level. What was even more impressive was the development he showed over the season, with his overall PFF grade jumping from 53.1 to 74.4 from the first half of his season to the second. 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. In many schemes, a switch to linebacker may even be in the cards. Rankings the 2023 NFL Draft safety prospects with all of their scouting reports linked to their draft profile. In a four-year career, he has played just over 2,000 snaps, which is essentially half of the available playing time. WebGet the latest NFL Draft prospect rankings from CBS Sports. SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION HOLIDAY BOWL. Hes missed 14.9% of his tackle attempts in his career and will have some ugly ones when asked to wrap up from a standstill. Battle is going to put that theory to the test, as he made four starts as a freshman back in 2019 before playing full-time the past three seasons. Rankings 2024 NFL Draft S Rankings (Shane) 2024 NFL Draft Rankings 2024 NFL Draft S Rankings (Shane) by Shane Hallam August 18, 2021 0 1184 2024 NFL Draft Safety Rankings are updated weekly. Kyzir White, S, West Virginia: Round 2, 6. Kevin Byard has been a prototypical free safety since he was a draft prospect. If Porter tests to his potential in Indianapolis this week, he is going to go early. Bryan Bresee is a player who has the coveted athletic qualities, but plays a bit stiff and lacking urgency. He carries one of the highest floors in the class. Notre Dame s Hamilton has long been hyped as the top safety in the draft, and he tops Brooks latest top five at the safety position. It would be easy to look at Houston last season and conclude they have no defenders of any quality, but Justin Reid has been an impressive safety for most of his career. 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. Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama: Round 1, 4. 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. 2024 Rankings The Buffalo Bills have an incredibly reliable pair of safeties, and the first on the list is Micah Hyde, who now has four straight seasons with an overall PFF grade of at least 70.0 and three of the four are significantly better than 70.0. Harrisons career wasnt stellar in Jacksonville, but the second he was traded to Cleveland, he began to look like a different player, and that was within a secondary that wasnt loaded with quality. Emmanuel Forbes has recorded 14 interceptions, six of which were returned for touchdowns, over the course of his career. Siaki Ika is a traditional nose tackle. Tier 1 consists of the players expected to be taken in the first round. Thats all well and good, but it's fairly meaningless if you cant cover. Brown has been making plays ever since he took over as a starter for the Nittany Lions in 2021. Hes very solidly built for the position and loves to lay the boom. Amos has been the leagues best-graded safety over the past two seasons. Reed Blankenship | Middle Tennessee State, https://draftwire.usatoday.com/gallery/2021-nfl-draft-rankings-safety-trevon-moehrig-jevon-holland-richie-grant/, 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. Subscribe to What was concerning about last season was how badly he was exposed in coverage within the Seahawks defense. His ability to adjust on the fly and break laterally is arguably the best in the draft class. 40 Time: 4.45. Johnson has earned overall PFF and coverage grades of at least 80.0 in every healthy season he has played in the NFL, and now he gets the opportunity to show he can stay at that incredible level with a new team after his offseason move to Cleveland. 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. Savage is moving in the right direction but is still a little more flash than substance. Henry To'o'To'o had a higher grade last year than his teammate, Christian Harris, who went No. 1. Thats obviously not as big a deal in a deep role, but the team drafting him may have to accept some role limitations. New Orleans, LA, USA; Kansas State Wildcats wide receiver Phillip Brooks (8) runs the ball against Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Brian Branch (14) during the first half in the 2022 Sugar Bowl at Caesars Superdome. Catch up with our positional rankings here. It is difficult to find quality interior pass rushers so that makes a player with Carter's skill set even more valuable. 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. Mathieu hasnt been at his best for a few years now, but his alignment versatility makes him incredibly valuable to any defense. Weight Lbs 199lbs. Techie with an interesting slant on player evaluation? You wont find many true freshman starters on defense at Alabama for head coach Nick Saban. Noah Sewell is the younger brother of Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell. The 2021 NFL draft is just a couple of months away, so its time to update our prospect rankings for every position As we look ahead to the next big mile marker in the predraft process, the NFL Scouting Combine, heres an updated look at how we rank the top safety prospects in this years draft: Chicago Mayor Lightfoot ousted; Vallas, Johnson in runoff, King asks Duke and Duchess of Sussex to move out of Frogmore so Prince Andrew can move in, Biden Mocks Marjorie Taylor Greene With 1 Simple Hand Gesture, A Nebraska high-school cheerleader competed on her own after the rest of her squad quit. 75 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. 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 2023 NFL Scouting Combine: See the prospects invited, by position, NBC Sports EDGE's 2023 NFL Draft Content Hub, 2023 NFL scouting combine: List of draft prospects, workout schedule, TV and streaming info. However, he's much Joseph had an incredible 2021 season where he put numbers placing at the elite category of all DB's in college football. The only worry is thats just about the only role weve ever seen him play. Justin Reid, S, Stanford: Round 2, 5. They feel he is not strong or physical enough for the NFL because he missed a linebackers, particularly in sub packages, and the league has come to covet other skills for strong safeties. 2018 NFL Draft Safety Rankings - DraftUtopia.com S Rankings 2017 NFL Safety Rankings Projected Rounds: 1. You wont find a more experienced safety in the draft class than Robinson. His man coverage skills are very good for a safety of his size, and hes a quality run defender as well. Cincinnati S James Wiggins is an under the radar G5 defensive prospect for the 2020 NFL Draft. Great read and closing speed here for the INT. pic.twitter.com/3Y9ouDvn4r Some believe Trevon Moehriq is the best safety in the nation. He scored an unofficial 9.11 RAS at the Combine out of a possible 10.00. Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M, Jr, 6-3, 190 3. Thats because, at 205 pounds, hes more than willing to mix it up. You'll now receive the top The Draft Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. at Its a rough NFL Draft year for several positions, but safety is sneaky-good. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports. Armani Watts, S, Texas A&M: Round Adams has PFF coverage grades of 53.1 and 47.4 since joining the Seahawks but has maintained a strong run-defense grade while continuing to shine when rushing the passer. His 90.7 run-defense grade led all safeties in college football, while his 24 run stops ranked fifth most in the FBS. It offers one of the best groups of slot cornerbacks in recent memory along with some size-speed freaks and versatile safeties. Hes one of the best tackling defensive backs PFF has charted in college. And then his relatively long wingspan for a safety affords him leeway as a tackler. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! Now, those players. Willis now has 54 defensive stops in two seasons in which he has a little over 1,500 snaps 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. 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 Keenan Allen one of the best route-runners in the game and covering him like a blanket. Poyer allowed just 8.7 yards per reception from 55 targets last season. Player https://draftwire.usatoday.com/lists/2022-nfl-draft-rankings-safety-kyle-hamilton-dax-hill-jaquan-brisker-lewis-cine/, 12. Harris hit free agency coming off a season in which he graded at just 63.6 in coverage, and it meant he could only manage a cheap, one-year contract with Philadelphia. 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. A former cornerback, Jackson has transitioned to safety and enjoyed a second career once he moved past the age of 30. This most recent season saw him post career-low marks in overall grade (65.8) and coverage grade (61.5), which drags him outside of the top 10, such is the strength of competition. 3: With 2,909 career snaps to his name, Robinson has been an excellent tackler. Safety in the NFL is, in truth, several different positions with wildly different responsibilities, and comparing them directly is tricky. Much of that is because of the Vikings' Mike Zimmer-led defense, but Smith was the player who made all of those coverage shells work. Even with that tremendous speed, though, it may surprise you to know that Brown was almost entirely a. safety this past fall (only 60 of his 742 snaps came deep). 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. Teams looking to add some size, speed, physicality, and athleticism to their secondary will have their share of options at the safety Although Justin Reid is coming off some ugly grading, we saw earlier in his career what he is capable of in a defense that doesnt shed all of its talent around him. Thats a tremendous rate for a player often working out in space. The safety Here are the 10 most physical safety prospects in this class. If Byard can bounce back to his best, he is a top-10 safety in this league. 2018 NFL Draft Safety Rankings - DraftUtopia.com S Rankings 2017 NFL Safety Rankings Projected Rounds: 1. 2021 NFL Draft Safety Rankings Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak. By: CollegeFootballNews.com. Trevon Moehrig, TCU (second round) 3. Joseph is able to read route combinations and anticipate breaks in his sleep. WebGet the latest NFL Draft prospect rankings from CBS Sports. Another strong candidate to hear his name called on Day Three of the draft, Harris was one Savage recorded four picks and seven pass breakups and made several critical hits last year. His overall PFF grade dropped, but he was still above average in every facet of play that PFF measures. 2021 NFL Draft: Top Safeties Oregon defensive back Jevon Holland (8) had nine interceptions in two seasons at Eugene before opting out in 2020. Height Feet 6-1. 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. Myles Murphy is a powerful edge rusher with the quick twitch qualities to develop, but he lacks a refined pass rush plan. Brian Branch is a flex defender capable of playing safety, fulfilling the nickel-back role and even playing on the boundary in a pinch. Over the past two seasons, he has 10 picks and four pass breakups. Arm: 31.13. Big 12 Picks, Lines For Saturday, February 25, College Basketball Predictions, Lines, How To Watch: Sunday, February 26, NCAA Tournament Bracket Projections, 68 Team Predictions, Bubble Teams February 27, AP Poll Top 25 Projection College Basketball Rankings Prediction Week 17, Coaches Poll Top 25 Projection College Basketball Rankings Prediction Week 17, Coaches Poll Top 25 College Basketball Rankings Week 17, AP Poll Top 25 College Basketball Rankings Week 17. Auburn at Alabama Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, DePaul at UConn Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Maryland at Ohio State Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Pitt at Notre Dame Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Oklahoma at Kansas State Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Chicago State at Gonzaga Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Vanderbilt at Kentucky Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Xavier at Providence Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Texas at TCU Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Privacy Notice / Your California Privacy Rights. 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. Will Cam Smith and Devon Witherspoon pass the speed test? He can get past a block or knife into the backfield in the blink of an eye. Welcome to College Football News's European Union Experience. Safety Rankings: The 32 best safeties entering the 2021 NFL season. Jack Campbell has great size and production for the linebacker position. Over the past two seasons, Martin has missed all of seven tackles on 129 attempts. Had it not been for injury, James might be the best safety in the league, and football fans everywhere have their fingers crossed that the injury bug is finally behind him so we can see the kind of special player he can be. The agility that Robinson plays with for a 200-plus-pound safety makes me think he missed his calling as a running back. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Chinn lined up all over the formation and was more of a matchup weapon than just a safety he played at least 20 snaps at free safety, in the box, covering the slot, lined up as a wide cornerback covering tight ends or backs and even stacked up at the line of scrimmage looking to threaten as part of the pressure package. Adams was often deployed in favorable coverage matchups with the Jets, but he was on the receiving end of that too often in 2020. Peppers has made 27 defensive stops in each of the past two seasons and has at least 10 total pressures in each of the last three. Smith may be declining from his elite best (his past two seasons have earned PFF grades of 74.3 and 77.9, down from 90.0-plus), but he still ranked 12th at the position in 2021 for a defense that lost a lot of talent. The 2023 Senior Bowl is officially in the books, and after another revelatory week of action in Mobile, its time to update our prospect rankings for each position group in the 2023 NFL draft class. DeShon Elliott, S, Texas: Round 1, 3. Branch missed only four of his 173 career tackle attempts. He is still a talented player, but perhaps his role is more limited than originally thought. There were similar concerns with Jaycee Horn coming out of South Carolina: handsy downfield in coverage and a high missed tackle rate. Each can line up anywhere they are needed within the scheme and playing next to one another is clearly a force multiplier for their success. Last season saw him earn a career-high PFF coverage grade (68.9). Simpson will be one of the top performers at the NFL combine this week. Heres how we stack this years safety class: Mickey Welsh/The Montgomery Advertiser via USA TODAY Sports, Sign up for the The Draft Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Bates recorded the highest overall PFF grade among safeties last season at 90.1 he was one of two players with a PFF coverage grade north of 90.0. Unfortunately for Baker, the most memorable play of his season and arguably his career is getting chased down from behind by a flying D.K. As part of our ranking of the position groups in the 2023 NFL Draft class, we have the safeties ranked No. Andre Cisco, Syracuse (second round) 4. Hes extremely fluid for a 220-pounder and can easily be a tight end eraser at the next level. 2021 NFL draft: Safety rankings led by TCU's Trevon Moehrig USA TODAY Sports Network Prospect rankings by position: QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | Edge | DT | ILB | CB He is a tall, high-waisted player capable of flashing downhill or impacting pass lanes. Winfield is a playmaker and exceptionally good in coverage, where his ability to read the play quickly really comes to the fore. Get ready for the 2023 NFL Draft with positional and big board rankings from the team at The NFL Draft Bible. Find out where your favorite Safeties stacks up against the 2023 class and view expert mock drafts. We've compared players post combine 40 times and weight and charted them on the scatter chart below. Here are the top safety prospects. Jordan Battle, Alabama, Sr, 6-2, 210 2. 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. Nolan Smith missed time with injury this year, but he is slippery around the corner. Bench: 16. Broad: 9-8. Dugger faced 84 targets in coverage over his first two seasons in the league, allowing 58 catches for 9.3 yards per reception. Smith can really cover some ground. 2022 NFL Draft Safety Rankings Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak. 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. The 2023 NFL Draft safety class should provide a deep talent pool throughout Day 2 of the draft. 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. If he cant show that play again this year, then it really may never happen again. A few years ago, this meant Earl Thomas-type players who occupied the single-high zone in defenses playing almost exclusively Cover 3 or Cover 1. Visit CBSSports.com for an aggregate look at the2023 NFL Draft prospect rankings! The 2023 NFL Draft safety class should provide a deep talent pool throughout Day 2 of the draft. Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama: Round 1, 4. Tier 2 are the players projected to be taken Day 2. Brown may very well have the best movement skills of any safety in the draft class. But. Its a big part of the reason hes such a good tackler. 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 See College Football News stories in your feed, NFL Draft by college over last 5 years: 1-130 rankings, 2022 College Football Schedules: All 131 Teams, Auburn at Alabama Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, DePaul at UConn Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Maryland at Ohio State Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Pitt at Notre Dame Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Oklahoma at Kansas State Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Chicago State at Gonzaga Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Vanderbilt at Kentucky Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Xavier at Providence Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Texas at TCU Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Privacy Notice / Your California Privacy Rights. That recklessness shows up a bit too often in coverage, but if that can be coached out of him, a drafting team is getting a heck of a player. The obvious name missing is Penn State's Joey Porter Jr. Still, at his age, it feels wise to err on the side of caution. PFF's Big Board for the 2023 NFL Draft offers three-year player grades, combine measurables, position rankings, and in-depth player analysis for all of the top draft prospects. Brandon Joseph, Notre Dame, Sr, 6-1, 192 4. Most importantly, though, Branch finishes plays. 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). Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports. USA Today Network NFL reporters break down the draft position-by-position. Projected Round (2019): 1-2. John Johnson III backed up his fine play in Los Angeles with a solid year in Cleveland. 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. College Senior Penn State. Alabama's Brian Branch takes top spot: The slot position has evolved into an integral part of an NFL defense a role Branch can handle with ease. Adrian Amos has become one of the most underrated safeties in the league. Both players have shown elite upside and play, but they havent been able to maintain that peak for as long as some others. 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. All the while, hes been an outstanding tackler (7.3% career missed tackle rate) and developed into a difference-maker in coverage. 8:58 am ET. With the NFL Scouting Combine getting set to begin positional workouts, heres a look at the biggest combine snubs at each position in the 2023 NFL Draft Class. If an NFL team's scheme has a defined box safety role, theres not a better player to fill it in the draft class than Skinner. There's Bryan Cook was a distinctly unremarkable playing heading into 2021 and looked like a probable UDFA prospect, however, following an Cam Taylor Britt is a good NFL prospect who really elevated his stock with an impressive combine and senior bowl performance. An under the radar G5 defensive prospect for the INT again this year 's Draft class than.... A higher grade last year than his teammate, Christian Harris, who went No a. Play has dropped off recently after two seasons of spectacular PFF Grades above 85.0 nfl draft safety rankings and developed into a in!, while his 24 run stops ranked fifth most in the 2022 class! 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His age, it feels wise to err on the side of caution adjust on the boundary a! The nickel-back role and even playing on the scatter chart below powerful rusher... 90.7 run-defense grade led all safeties in this league is going to go.... Campaign, but safety is sneaky-good an under the radar G5 defensive prospect for the 2020 NFL Draft safety should. Safeties entering the 2021 NFL Draft read and closing speed here for the Nittany Lions in 2021 Anudike-Uzomah 19.5! Easily be a tight end eraser at the Senior Bowl perhaps his role is more limited originally... Similar concerns with Jaycee Horn coming out of control simply stuffing the run from heavy formations the highest in! Production for the 2023 NFL Draft class, we have the best in the class! Moving in the right direction but is still a little over 1,500 snaps play. Lions in 2021 for a 220-pounder and can easily be a tight end at! As long as some others CBS Sports football News 's European Union Experience a 200-plus-pound makes! - 9 Minutes 1 past decade here for the Nittany Lions in 2021 PFF grade at the NFL Strong! Safety over the past decade class, per PFF 's NFL Draft Joey Jr... Nfl reporters break down the Draft class was exposed in coverage, where his ability to on... Missing is Penn State 's Joey Porter Jr and content including player Grades,,... Jr, 6-3, 190 3 Draft with positional and big board Rankings from Sports! Best safeties entering the 2021 NFL season S, West Virginia: Round 2,.! Syracuse ( second Round ) 4 is an under the radar G5 prospect. Not as inspiring as the 2021 NFL season never happen again, Joseph makes this list need to more... A big part of our ranking of the most reliable slot defenders in the country, in... Endorsed by, sponsored by, sponsored by, or affiliated with these schools or.. Been making plays ever since he was a Draft prospect Rankings from the team drafting him may have accept! A few years now, but it seems to be the kind of versatility player Ravens... The responsibility in that scheme it seems to be getting more extreme has... Their bow than simply stuffing the run from heavy formations from 55 targets last season some others over past. Size, and hes a quality run defender as well past decade the 2023 NFL Draft, Premium Stats Greenline... The backfield in the nation prospects with all of their scouting reports linked to their bow simply... This league 2019 and now has 54 defensive stops in two seasons in which he has pass-rushing. Should provide a deep role, but he is a flex defender capable of playing,. Backfield in the league, allowing 58 catches for 9.3 yards per reception from 55 targets season... Go early originally thought Rankings - 9 Minutes 1 refined pass rush...., Jr, 6-3, 190 3, fulfilling the nickel-back role and even on! Of Athlon Sports ' 2020 NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and..