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. 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. On average, the league has been very consistent, drafting approximately 20 safeties per year over the past decade. Safety in the NFL is, in truth, several different positions with wildly different responsibilities, and comparing them directly is tricky. Keeanu Benton is a proven run stopper who showed a bit more pass-rush potential at the Senior Bowl. Hes proven to be exceedingly versatile, playing 510 snaps in the box, 682 deep and 259 from the slot for his career. Kevin Byard has been a prototypical free safety since he was a draft prospect. Jessie Bates III is only a year removed from a 90.1 PFF grade and a truly elite season for the Bengals. 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. Theres nobody better at this than Derwin James. He collected 16 stops in the run game this past fall and proved to have one of the more versatile skill sets in the draft class. Jamar Johnson, Indiana (fourth round) 8. the ones that do often turn into quality starters in the NFL. Mar 18, 2021. The obvious name missing is Penn State's Joey Porter Jr. 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. One could not find a pass rusher more productive than Will Anderson Jr. over the past two seasons. 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. 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. The NFL combine will be important in sorting through the top of the cornerback group. Hes one of the best true backend players in the draft class. WebSafety Rankings 2022 NFL Draft Home Positions S ALL QUARTERBACK RUNNING BACK WIDE RECEIVER TIGHT END OFFENSIVE LINE DEFENSIVE LINE EDGE LINEBACKER DEFENSIVE BACK #1 RANKED - SCOUTING REPORT 14 Kyle Hamilton POSITION RANK #1 OUR RATING 91.6 S All Scouts Average Overall Rank 4.8 All Scouts Average Position Rank 1 Height Feet 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. 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. Moehrig has some of the best ball production youll see from a safety prospect, as he led all FBS safeties in pass breakups in each of the past two seasons. At 6-foot-2, 202 pounds, Moehrig has ideal size and physicality for the position, as well. 2. Elijah Molden, Washington Molden is the gold standard in the slot for this class. Updated safety rankings for the 2021 NFL draft. You'll now receive the top The Draft Wire stories each day directly in your inbox. Branch missed only four of his 173 career tackle attempts. Ward is coming off a season in which he earned better-than-average PFF grades across every facet of play. 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. Kyzir White, S, West Virginia: Round 2, 6. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. A few years ago, this meant, 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. Alabama head coach Nick Saban entrusted Branch with a significant share of the responsibility in that scheme. Curl could be primed for a big sophomore campaign. 1, 2023 NFL mock draft: New 2-round projections for Senior Bowl week, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Some of that play is built off the back of a couple of exceptional games, but he now has nine picks and 11 pass breakups over the last two seasons, including the playoffs. 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. The 2021 NFL draft is just a couple of months away, so its time to update our prospect rankings for every position group in this years class. 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. 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. The Fighting Illini secondary was no joke in 2022, and Martin was a big reason why. NFL Draft Buzz is on the lookout for new contributors who would like a chance showcase their perspectives on the NFL draft. Trenton Simpson and Drew Sanders will almost certainly be the first two linebackers off the board. James Wiggins, Cincinnati (fourth round) 7. He finished the year with 34 total pressures, 15 more than any other safety. Maintaining high-level play in the secondary over time is an extremely difficult task, yet Simmons has had back-to-back excellent years for the Broncos. Jackson is still just 26 and has too much talent to never find elite play again, but he needs to find a solution this offseason. Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama: Round 1, 4. But both before and after that play, Williams has been one of the best in the NFL. Henry To'o'To'o had a higher grade last year than his teammate, Christian Harris, who went No. Brandon Joseph, Notre Dame, Sr, 6-1, 192 4. Its the 2022 NFL Drafts most underappreciated group at maybe the most section: | slug: nfl-draft-2023-jalen-carter-will-anderson-jr-atop-pre-combine-list-of-best-defensive-prospects-by-position | sport: football | route: article_single_special | He is still a talented player, but perhaps his role is more limited than originally thought. Coverage is king in todays NFL, and the safety position is pivoting toward players who excel deep downfield. 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. He is coming off a season with a career-high 90.4 overall PFF grade and a 90.9 coverage grade. 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. 2,909 career snaps to his name, Robinson has been an excellent tackler. 2021 NFL Draft Safety Rankings 1. He also forced two fumbles, making five in total over the last two seasons. He can get a little wild as a tackler, although when he does catch a ball carrier cleanly, they stop in their tracks. WebGet the latest NFL Draft prospect rankings from CBS Sports. He is a tall, high-waisted player capable of flashing downhill or impacting pass lanes. 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. Winfield is a playmaker and exceptionally good in coverage, where his ability to read the play quickly really comes to the fore. 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. April 14, 2021 10:50 am ET. After ranking the best players at every position as a part of PFF's 2021 NFL season preview, we As part of Athlon Sports' 2020 NFL Draft Guide, we have ranked each position, including 45 total safeties. Please check your email for a confirmation. Hes very solidly built for the position and loves to lay the boom. Rankings the 2023 NFL Draft safety prospects with all of their scouting reports linked to their draft profile. Amos has been the leagues best-graded safety over the past two seasons. We've compared players post combine 40 times and weight and charted them on the scatter chart below. Brown may very well have the best movement skills of any safety in the draft class. Collins isnt that far removed from a genuine Defensive Player of the Year kind of season, but he has declined sharply since that spectacular 2016 season. 2021 NFL Draft: Safety Rankings. Ranking safeties in todays NFL is becoming increasingly complex because of defensive evolutions and the various roles the position encompasses. Before that, Harris generated 10 picks and an overall PFF grade of 90.6 over the previous two seasons combined. 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. 2021 NFL Draft Safety Rankings Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak. 1, 2023 NFL mock draft: New 2-round projections for Senior Bowl week, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. And then his relatively long wingspan for a safety affords him leeway as a tackler. 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. You wont find many true freshman starters on defense at Alabama for head coach Nick Saban. Marcus Williams signed a big free agent deal this offseason and has been incredibly consistent in the NFL at a position where consistently high-end play is hard to come by. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NFL player performance data. Mathieu hasnt been at his best for a few years now, but his alignment versatility makes him incredibly valuable to any defense. Joseph is able to read route combinations and anticipate breaks in his sleep. John Johnson III backed up his fine play in Los Angeles with a solid year in Cleveland. 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. Yet, Joseph makes this list because of how adeptly he sees the game. 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). The 2023 NFL Draft safety class should provide a deep talent pool throughout Day 2 of the draft. Adrian Amos has become one of the most underrated safeties in the league. 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. Thats Branchs game. 2023 NFL Draft Free Safety Rankings John Vogel October 31, 2022 in 2023 Rankings - 6 Minutes 1. See his 2024 Rankings as well! 1 overall PFF grade at the position and is the only safety who has put up a 90.0-plus grade over that time. Jordan Battle is another Saban safety with extensive playing experience. From the college perspective, here are the best safety prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft. 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. 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. 2018 NFL Draft Safety Rankings - DraftUtopia.com S Rankings 2017 NFL Safety Rankings Projected Rounds: 1. Derwin James, S, Florida State: Round 1, 2. Please check your email for a confirmation. That snap breakdown is precisely what most safeties at the next level will be asked to do. He racked up 10 picks over the course of his career and allowed only 80 yards on 17 targets with Notre Dame this past season. Welcome to College Football News's European Union Experience. Four! Here is a look at my personal positional rankings on the defensive side of the ball leading in to this week: During the build up to the 2022 NFL Draft, amid conversations surrounding Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt was the narrative that Jalen Carter was the best prospect along that Georgia defensive front. DeShon Elliott, S, Texas: Round 1, 3. That all gives Robinson one of the higher floors at the safety position in the class. This past season, he allowed only 17 catches on 32 targets for 176 yards with four picks and three pass breakups. We dont particularly know how hell fare if asked to expand his horizons in the NFL. Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama: Round 1, 4. Dax Hill | Michigan. Athletic testing and measurements at the NFL combine this week will either confirm what was seen on tape or inspire a second look. Live picks, grades and reaction to the 2023 NFL Draft. 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). Both players have shown elite upside and play, but they havent been able to maintain that peak for as long as some others. 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 Here are the top 10 safeties in this year's draft class, per PFF's NFL Draft Guide. Even the players on this list need to have more strings to their bow than simply stuffing the run from heavy formations. Subscribe to Find out where your favorite Position stacks up against the 2023 class and view expert mock drafts. 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. 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