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. Armani Watts, S, Texas A&M: Round Tyrann Mathieu is a complete and versatile player who has been a difference-maker within the Chiefs defense since he arrived there. 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. Weight Lbs 199lbs. 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. One player who seems to sit atop big boards around the league is Brian Branch of Alabama. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! In-depth prospect rankings with linked reports and all updated player information. Sign Up. Its why I think he can be so skilled in a coverage-first role in a two-high scheme. Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans free safety Kevin Byard (31) takes the field before the game against the New Orleans Saints at Nissan Stadium. 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. Live picks, grades and reaction to the 2023 NFL Draft. He possesses the skill set that suggests he can be a productive pass rusher, but is likely to be unrefined as a run defender early in his career. From the college perspective, here are the best safety prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft. Thats because, at 205 pounds, hes more than willing to mix it up. Player 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. You'll find the 40 time on the Y-axis and on the X-axis the weight in pounds. Thats the kind of defender you want around the football. Jack Campbell has great size and production for the linebacker position. Willis has back-to-back impressive seasons for the Colts since coming into the league as a fourth-round pick. From a testing perspective, theres a chance he puts up the most lackluster numbers at the combine of any player on this list. Adrian Amos has become one of the most underrated safeties in the league. 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. College Senior Penn State. One could not find a pass rusher more productive than Will Anderson Jr. over the past 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. Tier 3 are the Round 4-5 caliber players. Yet, Joseph makes this list because of how adeptly he sees the game. She said the support she got from other teams was 'overwhelming. 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. How do the top players at every position stack up? USA Today Network NFL reporters break down the draft position-by-position. Richie Grant, UCF (first round) 2. 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. Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M, Jr, 6-3, 190 3. His 90.7 run-defense grade led all safeties in college football, while his 24 run stops ranked fifth most in the FBS. PFF BIG BOARD RANK: 112. 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. 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. Between being a former first-round pick, used in a debatable way early in his career and then used as a makeweight in the trade for Odell Beckham Jr., it would be easy to dismiss Jabrill Peppers as a bust, but he is far from a bad player. 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. Safety in the NFL is, in truth, several different positions with wildly different responsibilities, and comparing them directly is tricky. Andre Cisco, Syracuse (second round) 4. Savage is moving in the right direction but is still a little more flash than substance. 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. NFL Draft Buzz is on the lookout for new contributors who would like a chance showcase their perspectives on the NFL draft. 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. Jaquan Brisker is a SS prospect in the 2022 draft class. The biggest thing preventing him from being the consensus best safety in the NFL is health. All Rights Reserved. Both players have shown elite upside and play, but they havent been able to maintain that peak for as long as some others. 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. He also has ideal size, loo Verone McKinley III was an elite high school player, a good college player but may only ever be an average pro. 2021 NFL Draft Safety Rankings Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak. WebThe NFL Draft Bible Primer Series concludes with a look at the top safety prospects, as we get set to depart for the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, buckle up! 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. Get ready for the 2023 NFL Draft with positional and He has a thinner build that brings questions about his sustainability in the run game, but there is no doubt about his immediate upside as a pass rusher. Harrison Smith has long been the prototype for this group of safeties. Theres nobody better at this than Derwin James. Send feedback and thoughts to @ShanePHallam. This site is not endorsed by, sponsored by, or affiliated with these schools or teams. Poyer allowed just 8.7 yards per reception from 55 targets last season. WebGet the latest NFL Draft prospect rankings from CBS Sports. 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. 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. As part of Athlon Sports' 2020 NFL Draft Guide, we have ranked each position, including 45 total safeties. WebGet the latest NFL Draft prospect rankings from CBS Sports. 3: With 2,909 career snaps to his name, Robinson has been an excellent tackler. Christian Gonzalez will certainly check the height, weight and speed boxes, and the same is true of Kelee Ringo. Teams looking to add some size, speed, physicality, and athleticism to their secondary will have their share of options at the safety The obvious name missing is Penn State's Joey Porter Jr. Ranking safeties in todays NFL is becoming increasingly complex because of defensive evolutions and the various roles the position encompasses. Keeanu Benton is a proven run stopper who showed a bit more pass-rush potential at the Senior Bowl. At almost 34 years old, McCourty is coming off his lowest-graded season since 2011, when he was still playing cornerback for the Patriots. 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. 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. 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. Hes extremely fluid for a 220-pounder and can easily be a tight end eraser at the next level. 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. Heres how we stack this years safety class: 1. 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. Before that, Harris generated 10 picks and an overall PFF grade of 90.6 over the previous two seasons combined. 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. Since moving to Pittsburgh and being allowed to play his natural position, Fitzpatrick has blossomed into one of the best safeties in the NFL. 75 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. As part of our ranking of the position groups in the 2023 NFL Draft class, we have the safeties ranked No. His ability to adjust on the fly and break laterally is arguably the best in the draft class. Lets take a look at the future enforcers in the NFL that have entered their name into the 2021 draft. Its the 2022 NFL Drafts most underappreciated group at maybe the most Safety in the NFL Amos has been the leagues best-graded safety over the past two seasons. 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. Byards play has dropped off recently after two seasons of spectacular PFF grades above 85.0. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. Coverage is king in todays NFL, and the safety position is pivoting toward players who excel deep downfield. Height Feet 6-1. 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. Battle is sort of a jack-of-all-trades, but a master of none. Here are the top safety prospects. Trenton Simpson and Drew Sanders will almost certainly be the first two linebackers off the board. Nolan Smith missed time with injury this year, but he is slippery around the corner. Smith can really cover some ground. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. 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. Hes been instinctual ever since he stepped on the field at Alabama for 290 snaps as a true freshman. But the ones that do often turn into quality starters in the NFL. If he cant show that play again this year, then it really may never happen again. 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. 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. Will each look comfortable flipping their hips and running in coverage? 2018 NFL Draft Safety Rankings - DraftUtopia.com S Rankings 2017 NFL Safety Rankings Projected Rounds: 1. The best days of Devin McCourty may be in the past. He carries one of the highest floors in the class. 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). Over the last two seasons, Simmons has the No. 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 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. 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. Jevon Holland, Oregon (third round) 5. 2021 NFL Draft Safety Rankings 1. This past season, he allowed only 17 catches on 32 targets for 176 yards with four picks and three pass breakups. Ronnie Harrison, S, Alabama: Round 1, 4. The singular position safety doesnt feel like it does justice to the kind of deployment the Panthers orchestrated for Jeremy Chinn in his rookie season. Hes proven to be exceedingly versatile, playing 510 snaps in the box, 682 deep and 259 from the slot for his career. 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. Noah Sewell is the younger brother of Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell. 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. The results are (sometimes) interesting but what it really does show, is that on the whole - NFL teams would have done better by putting their feet up and just switching on autodraft. Take a look, we have every team's draft since 2011 rated. 2022 NFL Draft Safety Rankings Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak. 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 | 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). Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! 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. And while some positions in the league are extremely thin, highlighted by just a few stars but lacking any real quality beyond that, the safety position seems to be in excellent health. Sanders, an Alabama transfer, has spot edge rusher potential in addition to having the size necessary to hold up at the point of attack. He has amassed 10 interceptions, 4.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one touchdown. Kevin Byard has been a prototypical free safety since he was a draft prospect. Dugger faced 84 targets in coverage over his first two seasons in the league, allowing 58 catches for 9.3 yards per reception. That size does show up at points as a tackler, though. 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. Often forgotten men of the team, safeties can make a major difference to the quality of a defense and a secondary. He h Nick Cross is an intriguing prospect who is an elite athlete with outstanding speed and explosiveness. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. 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. 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. 8:58 am ET. 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. Kyle Hamilton can do it all -- he has the perfect size and agility for the position combined with nice coverage skills, hard tackling, and Jaquan Brisker is a great athlete with an elite combination of speed, size, tackling, and natural coverage ability to be a pro-bowl level sa Hill has played all over the secondary for the Wolverines, and this versatility is always in demand in the NFL especially when paired with Aspiring college or profootball journalist? Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Hes extremely steady and rarely caught out of control. the ones that do often turn into quality starters in the NFL. 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. 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. 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Show that play again this year, then it really may never happen again football! & @ PeteFiutak Texas a & M, Jr, 6-3, 190 3 projections for Senior Bowl showed bit.