One could not find a pass rusher more productive than Will Anderson Jr. over the past two seasons. 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. On average, the league has been very consistent, drafting approximately 20 safeties per year over the past decade. 40 Time: 4.45. 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. We've compared players 40 times and weight and charted them on the scatter chart below. He scored an unofficial 9.11 RAS at the Combine out of a possible 10.00. Forty Time Secs 4.49. 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. Its exactly the role he handled for the Aggies the past two seasons. His 2022 tape is littered with such splash plays, as he attacks with no fear despite being on the smaller end for the position. Marcus Maye was the deep-lying free safety who allowed Jamal Adams to be the do-it-all star in the Jets secondary. Tyrann Mathieu is a complete and versatile player who has been a difference-maker within the Chiefs defense since he arrived there. 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. Similar to his twin brother Chase, Sydney can flat-out fly. And then his relatively long wingspan for a safety affords him leeway as a tackler. Please check your email for a confirmation. Brown may very well have the best movement skills of any safety in the draft class. He has converted three of his five interceptions into touchdowns over the past three seasons. Armani Watts, S, Texas A&M: Round Here are the top safety prospects. Thats because, at 205 pounds, hes more than willing to mix it up. 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. Welcome to College Football News's European Union Experience. That season brought forth his best career PFF grade by more than 10 grading points, although the campaigns on either side of it might be why the Bengals have seemed reluctant to hand him a monster new contract. Amos has been the leagues best-graded safety over the past two seasons. Over the past two seasons, he has 177 pass-rushing snaps on the blitz and has racked up 27 total pressures on those rushes. Another strong candidate to hear his name called on Day Three of the draft, Harris was one He finished the year with 34 total pressures, 15 more than any other safety. 3: With 2,909 career snaps to his name, Robinson has been an excellent tackler. Kyle Hamilton | Notre Dame. Will Cam Smith and Devon Witherspoon pass the speed test? 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. 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. It offers one of the best groups of slot cornerbacks in recent memory All the while, hes been an outstanding tackler (7.3% career missed tackle rate) and developed into a difference-maker in coverage. You wont find many true freshman starters on defense at Alabama for head coach Nick Saban. The Fighting Illini secondary was no joke in 2022, and Martin was a big reason why. 250+ three-page scouting profiles - advanced stats, 3-year grades, player comps, combine data and Senior Bowl grades - for the 2023 draft class. Bench: 16. 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. Super informed fan? 8:58 am ET. 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. Poyer allowed just 8.7 yards per reception from 55 targets last season. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! Justin Reid, S, Stanford: Round 2, 5. Thats obviously not as big a deal in a deep role, but the team drafting him may have to accept some role limitations. By: CollegeFootballNews.com, College Basketball Predictions. The now fifth-year safety missed just two tackles from 67 attempts in 2020. Willis has back-to-back impressive seasons for the Colts since coming into the league as a fourth-round pick. Over the past two seasons, Martin has missed all of seven tackles on 129 attempts. 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. Derwin James, S, Florida State: Round 1, 2. 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. They feel he is not strong or physical enough for the NFL because he missed a The biggest thing preventing him from being the consensus best safety in the NFL is health. 2023 NFL Draft Eligible Safety Prospects 1. NFL Draft Buzz is on the lookout for new contributors who would like a chance showcase their perspectives on the NFL draft. We've compared players post combine 40 times and weight and charted them on the scatter chart below. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports. 1 overall PFF grade at the position and is the only safety who has put up a 90.0-plus grade over that time. WebGet the latest NFL Draft prospect rankings from CBS Sports. No player has the production of Ji'Ayir Brown over the past two seasons. Hes been instinctual ever since he stepped on the field at Alabama for 290 snaps as a true freshman. Theres nobody better at this than Derwin James. WebGet the latest NFL Draft prospect rankings from CBS Sports. 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. Brandon Joseph, Notre Dame, Sr, 6-1, 192 4. 2023 NFL Draft S Rankings (Shane) by Shane Hallam August 17, 2022 0 1430. He can get past a block or knife into the backfield in the blink of an eye. Thats a tremendous rate for a player often working out in space. Jamar Johnson, Indiana (fourth round) 8. 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. Maye earned a career-high PFF grade of 82.9 last season, also notching career highs in snaps from the slot and in the box. Kevin Byard has been a prototypical free safety since he was a draft prospect. Myles Murphy is a powerful edge rusher with the quick twitch qualities to develop, but he lacks a refined pass rush plan. Please check your email for a confirmation. Joseph is able to read route combinations and anticipate breaks in his sleep. Lets dive into PFF's top 32 safeties entering the 2021 NFL season. 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. Mathieu hasnt been at his best for a few years now, but his alignment versatility makes him incredibly valuable to any defense. Subscribe to 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. 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. See his 2022 and 2023 Rankings as well! JL Skinner will be one of the more impressive prospects in Indianapolis this week. Four! 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. Both players have shown elite upside and play, but they havent been able to maintain that peak for as long as some others. Athletic testing and measurements at the NFL combine this week will either confirm what was seen on tape or inspire a second look. Safety in the NFL All Scouts Average Position Rank 11. Experienced Jammie Robinson comes in at No. 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. Since moving to Pittsburgh and being allowed to play his natural position, Fitzpatrick has blossomed into one of the best safeties in the NFL. In many schemes, a switch to linebacker may even be in the cards. 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. Player 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. The obvious name missing is Penn State's Joey Porter Jr. 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. Hes proven to be exceedingly versatile, playing 510 snaps in the box, 682 deep and 259 from the slot for his career. April 14, 2021 10:50 am ET. 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. 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. 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 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. Yet, Joseph makes this list because of how adeptly he sees the game. Most importantly, though, Branch finishes plays. 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. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. 1, 2023 NFL mock draft: New 2-round projections for Senior Bowl week, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. Find out where your favorite Position stacks up against the 2023 class and view expert mock drafts. 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. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) 2. Will each look comfortable flipping their hips and running in coverage? A former cornerback, Jackson has transitioned to safety and enjoyed a second career once he moved past the age of 30. 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. His acceleration for a 6-foot-3 safety is what really makes him unique. Christian Gonzalez will certainly check the height, weight and speed boxes, and the same is true of Kelee Ringo. The 2023 NFL Draft safety class should provide a deep talent pool throughout Day 2 of the draft. Hamsah Nasirildeen, Florida State (third round) 6. 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. 177 pass-rushing snaps on the field at Alabama for head coach Nick Saban defender as.. A quality run defender as well versatile player who has put up 90.0-plus... 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