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- Jartavius Martin – Illinois
Martin is a physical and aggressive safety. His skillset will coincide with today’s NFL quite well because he is a hybrid between safety and linebacker. Martin is a strong tackler with a willingness to stick his nose in the crowd against the run. In 2022 he took a step forward in his production which means he is currently trending upwards. Martin has some slot versatility and might make an excellent nickel in zone heavy systems. He can still make an impact in man coverage as well. His quickness is a bit limited especially against quicker wide receivers which means he might not be much of an option playing towards the outside of the field. He does not have the long speed of some of the other safeties either.
Player Comparison: Kerby Joseph (ability) / Antoine Winfield Jr. (schematically)
Projection: 5th – 7th Round
Best Fits: Cleveland, Jacksonville, Tampa Bay (Wild Card – Indianapolis)
- Daniel Scott – California
Scott is a bigger safety with plenty of patience and does not overcommit in coverage or when making a tackle. He has adequate range and speed which additionally makes him a candidate to play single high safety. He is an older prospect with a lower ceiling but despite not having star quality, he could be a reliable player on the back end. Scott is not great at tackling running backs in open field and can be a bit inconsistent when finishing a tackle. He will fit best in a man heavy scheme and could play some nickel despite being a free safety fit on most teams.
Player Comparison: Reed Blankenship
Projection: 5th – 7th Round
Best Fits: Las Vegas, Detroit, Los Angeles Rams (Wild Card – San Francisco)
- Ji’Ayir Brown – Penn State
Brown is one of the most physical and aggressive safeties in this draft class. He likes to get close to the box because he is extremely dangerous and thrives on the blitz. Brown’s quick trigger downhill leads to lots of production as a tackler, yet he also has some ballhawk tendencies in coverage. Brown is very explosive and most simply put – a tough guy. He does lack some natural instincts which results in him taking some bad angles and being an inconsistent tackler. He is not as fluid in his movements either. The violent hitter will add some rotational value at strong safety at the next level.
Player Comparison: K’Von Wallace
Projection: 5th – 7th Round
Best Fits: Green Bay, Tampa Bay, Kansas City (Wild Card – Buffalo)
- Ronnie Hickman – Ohio State
Hickman could be a chess piece for teams that like to run a 4-2-5 scheme. At Ohio State he played close to the box as a so-called “bullet” and was one of the team’s top tacklers the past few seasons. He is an incredibly willing tackler downhill and navigates through traffic smoothly. Hickman is physical enough and does well at wrapping up on tackles. He possesses some decent short area quickness and has shown some flashes in coverage. He has shown just modest ball production and needs to improve in coverage. He is not immune to misses as a tackler which also takes away any value as a single high safety. Ideally for Hickman, he will be on the field in three safety schemes plus adding some value on special teams.
Player Comparison: Brandon Jones / Jabrill Peppers
Projection: 5th – 7th Round
Best Fits: New York Jets, New Orleans, New England (Wild Card – Cincinnati)
- Trey Dean III – Florida
Dean possesses some excellent size combined with extraordinary versatility. He has played corner, both safety spots and even as a rover linebacker. In coverage he has no issues matched up with tight ends or running backs. Dean has a quick trigger and closing speed attacking downhill, which couples well with his physicality. He has some fluid hips in man to man coverage yet he has some inconsistent technique that needs to be cleaned up. In zone coverage he can sometimes be undisciplined with his eyes and try to jump routes too quickly. This is the guy if your team needs a do it all safety with plenty of potential.
Player Comparison: Kyle Duggar
Projection: 5th – 7th Round
Best Fits: Philadelphia, Buffalo, Dallas (Wild Card – Jacksonville)
- Quindell Johnson – Memphis
Johnson has the ability to be a single high safety due to his skills in both man and zone coverage, plus his quick anticipation skills. He is an eager defender and aggressive downhill when needed. He is a solid tackler with the ability to wrap up consistently. Johnson has adequate athleticism and ball skills, but he does struggle playing through physical contact. He also lacks some awareness of where blockers are coming from. Johnson is smooth but not sudden and will serve as a versatile safety. He should spend most of his time at free safety.
Player Comparison: Julian Blackmon
Projection: 4th – 6th Round
Best Fits: Cleveland, Las Vegas, Los Angeles Rams (Wild Card – Tampa Bay)
- Jay Ward – LSU
Ward is a long strider safety with great length and fantastic speed. He actually transitioned to safety from corner which speaks to his solid coverage ability and means he is quite versatile. He has a high motor and makes plays on the football in the air. Ward also displays some excellent run/pass recognition. Ward has a lighter, lean frame and does not tackle with the same ability of the majority of safeties. He is subject to missing tackles. Ward will be able to use his skills best at free safety.
Player Comparison: Jevon Holland (build) / Logan Ryan (future potential)
Projection: 3rd – 5th Round
Best Fits: Cincinnati, Indianapolis, New Orleans (Wild Card – Detroit)
- Brandon Hill – Pittsburgh
Hill is an instinctive and physical hard hitting safety. He diagnoses plays quickly and then pulls the trigger downhill with sincere aggression. He also has enough athleticism and range to be an asset in coverage. Hill can hold up in man coverage as well. He does need to improve on his tackling consistency and his ball production in college has also been fairly modest. He does overcommit on some plays, plus his size compared to the aggressive style makes me question whether he will be durable in the NFL. Hill is a strong safety with some special teams value.
Player Comparison: Shyheim Carter (size) / Jamal Adams (mentality)
Projection: 3rd – 4th Round
Best Fits: New York Jets, Green Bay, Minnesota (Wild Card – Los Angeles Rams)
- DeMarcco Hellams – Alabama
Hellams offers some value with versatility because he has played deep safety all the way up to close to the line of scrimmage. He is a tackling machine who happens to be quite reliable against the run. He is flat footed in man coverage and has some tight hips. Hellams lacks the speed of many of the other prospects and is a bit of a project. He could be an effective strong safety in a heavy zone coverage scheme.
Player Comparison: Darrick Forrest
Projection: 3rd – 4th Round
Best Fits: Baltimore, San Francisco, New York Jets (Wild Card – Tampa Bay)
- Kaevon Merriweather – Iowa
Merriweather is the smoothest safety in coverage out of this group. He could play either safety spot with his speed and solid range from sideline to sideline. Merriweather possesses some fantastic body control combined with being a sufficient tackler. I would like to see him ramp up his production and improve his angles in pursuit. Merriweather can be a factor in man or zone coverage.
Player Comparison: Devin McCourty
Projection: 4th – 5th Round
Best Fits: Las Vegas, Cleveland, Buffalo (Wild Card – Dallas)
- Jammie Robinson – Florida State
Robinson has a smaller build yet makes tons of plays. He has been productive at strong safety, free safety, nickelback and even linebacker. Robinson displays a strong motor and finds himself constantly in the middle of plays. He is also a good tackler. Robinson lacks ball production and range in the deep middle of the field. His man to man coverage skills could improve but he does well in zone coverage. He will be best suited to play strong safety.
Player Comparison: Dax Hill
Projection: 3rd – 4th Round
Best Fits: Jacksonville, Philadelphia, New England (Wild Card – Kansas City)
- Brandon Joseph – Notre Dame
Joseph is best in zone coverage and happens to be a ballhawk. He is fairly long and has a high IQ. Joseph can play as a single high safety in the deep middle of the field. He is a player that manages to create turnovers. He is a striker as a tackler and can manage to play in highly complex schemes. Joseph peaked in 2020 with Northwestern so there are questions on whether he can rise to the same level once again. He is not great in run support and could improve as an open field tackler. Joseph is a free safety who will immediately get some playing time.
Player Comparison: Jessie Bates III
Projection: 2nd – 4th Round
Best Fits: Cleveland, Cincinnati, Indianapolis (Wild Card – Los Angeles Rams)
- Antonio Johnson – Texas A&M
Johnson is a hard hitting safety who throws his shoulder into tackles. He flies in with reckless abandon against the run and the pass. Johnson plays fast with strong instincts. He is a long safety with plenty of versatility. Due to his size, Johnson has high hips and struggles turning in coverage. He also has some inconsistent ball skills. The question is what position does Johnson truly fit in… is that nickel or is that at strong safety pushed up near the box? That will be seen later but he will be an exciting selection for the team that gets him.
Player Comparison: Ronnie Harrison Jr.
Projection: 2nd – 3rd Round
Best Fits: New England, San Francisco, Dallas (Wild Card – Las Vegas)
- Jordan Battle – Alabama
Battle quickly arrives to the football plus plays aggressive and smart inside the box. He has a high IQ against the run and the pass. Battle is pretty athletic with fluid movement and ideal physicality. He is inconsistent as a tackler from time to time and is weaker in man coverage than zone coverage. He will be a tough strong safety in the NFL.
Player Comparison: Landon Collins
Projection: 2nd – 3rd Round
Best Fits: Baltimore, Philadelphia, Jacksonville (Wild Card – Detroit)
- JL Skinner – Boise State
Skinner is a bigger safety at 6’4” and 220 pounds. At Boise State he was used closer to the box and delivered some massive hits. His rare frame, exceptional length and excellent motor makes him an attractive possible selection. As a long strider, he covers ground quickly. As a high hipped safety, Skinner does struggle changing directions quickly and lacks man coverage value against wide receivers. The physical strong safety could be a middle round steal.
Player Comparison: Kam Chancellor
Projection: 3rd – 4th Round
Best Fits: Minnesota, Buffalo, Indianapolis (Wild Card – Kansas City)
Watch as Cole unveils the top 3 – highlights included!
