SAFETY
TOP 5 QB VIDEO
1
Bryce Young
2
CJ Stroud
3
Hendon Hooker
4
Dorian Thompson-Robinson
5
Jaren Hall
1
Cole Bishop
SAF | UTAH | 6'2 | 207
Bishop is a well-rounded and tough defender who has a ton of likeable traits. He is an instinctive and reactive player who has a high motor and seems to be involved in every play. Bishop is a versatile defender who can play downfield, excel as a sideline-sideline linebacker, and make plays as a blitzer in the backfield. He has a ton of controlled power and functional strength. Many people will tell you that he’s not the fastest, but he proved everyone wrong at the combine and he has “football speed” which will get overlooked. His change of direction is my small concern, but I think Bishop is going to be a steal in the draft—capable of winning in many ways.
Grade: Round 2
Harrison Smith
2
Kamren Kinchens
SAF | MIAMI | 6'0 | 205
Kinchens is an explosive safety with a knack for making plays. He’s an extremely confident defender who plays with a high motor and seeks out the ball. Kinchens possesses good instincts, which show up on tape. He has awesome ball skills and understands how to effectively play the role of a centre fielder. Although Kinchen’s frame isn’t anything special, he has more than adequate pop as a tackler. He’ll need to improve the consistency of the angles he takes—but Kinchen’s is a highly skilled and electric safety who will do damage at the next level. His athleticism/RAS appears to be a concern for many
Grade: Round 2
Darnell Savage
3
Tyler Nubin
SAF | MINNESOTA | 6'2 | 210
Nubin is a big and long safety with an imposing frame. His best asset is his ability in the box. Whether it be as an open-field tackler, a chess piece in the trenches, or as a late blitzer, Nubin is electric in this area. He has a ferocious defender who has great vision, downhill explosiveness, vision, and technique to be a constant threat. Nubin is adequate in coverage, but nothing to write home about. He’s not the most athletic either, but his ability as a physical box safety and hybrid defender is very fun to watch on tape. If put in the correct scheme/role, Nubin has a ton of upside.
Grade: Round 2
Antonio Johnson
4
Javon Bullard
SAF | GEORGIA | 5'11 | 195
Bullard is a smart and disciplined free safety with great fundamentals. The elephant in the room is his size. It’s not every day your centre fielder is 5’11 & 195lbs—which will challenge Bullard to win in other ways. The good news is that his tape shows an extremely technical and high-IQ player who doesn’t get too aggressive. Bullard is a well-rounded defender who has great vision, impressive open-field tackling ability, and provides the big game experience and football acumen to succeed in the NFL. His pop and mentality is much better than what you’d expect from someone of his size. If teams overlook him because of his frame, this could create a potential draft day steal opportunity.
Grade: Round 3
Marcus Jones
5
Calen Bullock
SAF | USC | 6'3 | 190
Bullock is a long and wiry safety with a knack for creating turnovers. He has a natural ability to get to the needed spot and is electric in the open field—showcasing impressive acceleration and burst. Bullock is a good open-field tackler when he sets up, but needs to show more consistency with the angles he takes—sometimes getting overaggressive and missing altogether. His frame and play strength is a question, and he looks more like a cornerback. Bullock has a nice combination of range, length, vision, and ball skills to be a big playmaker—he’ll just need some luck with landing spot and overall development.
Grade: Round 3
Grant Delpit
6
Tykee Smith
SAF | GEORGIA | 5'9 | 206
Smith is an instinctive and versatile player who is extremely active all over the field. He is a smooth player who can instinctively follow the flow of the game and be where he needs to be. Smith is an agile and fluid mover, but his top-end speed and true acceleration is questionable. He is a technical tackler who can deconstruct blocks and make plays in open space. Smith is a high-floor player with solid college production. His potential may be limited at the next level due to the lack of top-end speed, but there’s a lot to like about his game, and many ways to use him.
Grade: Round 3
TBD
7
Sione Vaki
SAF | UTAH | 6'0 | 208
Vaki is one of the most interesting players in the draft. He has experience playing all over the defense, and even played offense. Vaki is a swiss army chess piece who brings toughness, motor, and urgency to the field. He has a compact frame that falls short on paper, but his pound-for-pound pop shows up on tape. Vaki is a sideline-to-sideline chaser who can move across the field and make plays against unique schemes. In space, it’s a blessing and a curse. Vaki is a missile who can make plays, but often gets overaggressive and takes bad angles. His lack of length and true man cover skills are a concern, but Vaki’s versatility, toughness, and motor make him a high-upside value pick.
Grade: Round 3
Talanona Hufanga
8
Malik Mustapha
SAF | WAKE FOREST | 5'9 | 210
Mustapha is a thick and compact safety that excels in the box. He’s a powerful hitter who has blitzing versatility. My favourite thing about Mustapha is his awareness. He’s always alert and focused on the finer details of the game. Mustapha seeks out plays and finds a way to the ball. With his lack of length and build, his range seems limited at times on tape, but supposedly has speed numbers. I’d like to see him improve in diagnosis, sometimes looking a step slow and getting tricked with misdirection and play action. Nonetheless, Mustapha is a physical and relentless defender who could make a nice impact in the right scheme.
Grade: Round 4
TBD
9
Jaden Hicks
SAF | WASHINGTON ST. | 6'3 | 212
Hicks is a big-body safety who is at his best in physical and tight-spaced situations. He has a high motor and an aggressive demeanour, always trying to make a play. Hicks is an explosive downhill threat who, when has momentum, can become a force in the backfield. He’s a capable playmaker, but I have some concerns with his game. He’s not a nuanced cover corner, and you shouldn’t expect him to be a reliable guy downfield. Hicks looks uncomfortable backpedalling and sometimes has difficulty making split decisions in coverage. His value will come in the box, and if he’s put into the right positions by a scheme fit, he has the potential to make a ton of plays.
Grade: Round 4
TBD
10
Beau Brade
SAF | MARYLAND | 5'11 | 208
Brade is a physical safety who can impact multiple field levels. He’s a compact defender who loves to contribute in traffic and shows a quick trigger to make plays. Brade does a nice job of staying square and level while engaging with opponents. He’s shown a solid ability to get it done in different alignments. Sometimes his willingness to get physical leads to overaggression. He’s not the most reliable player - and can sometimes get fooled through play action and misdirection. Brade is still developing a feel in coverage with things like footwork and smoothness. With additional coaching, Brade’s physical demeanour and power can allow him to make an impact at the next level.
Grade: Round 4
TBD
11
James Williams
SAF | MIAMI | 6'4 | 230
Williams is an enormous safety with LB versatility. His frame pops on film, sporting a thick, long, and powerful build. Williams has the size to handle things at the line of scrimmage, and match up with bigger TEs in space. He has powerful pop in his hands and good explosiveness—for his size—when he plants and goes. There are still a lot of questions and areas for improvement in his game. Williams' quickness and fluidity in coverage is a big question mark. He plays with a high pad level and can easily get beaten by quickness. His frame and explosiveness will make him a high-upside developmental project who can pop in the right scheme.
Grade: Round 5
TBD
12
Evan Williams
SAF | OREGON | 5'11 | 202
Williams is an experienced defender with 5 seasons of starting experience. He excelled at the Senior Bowl, showing his ability against the best competition. He is an instinctive safety with a nose for the football. Williams has good short-area quickness, sporting a lean and fluid build. However, after his week of practice at the Senior Bowl, I was expecting more from his tape. Williams has a ton of work to do in open space. He constantly misses tackles and takes questionable angles, making him a liability in certain situations. Williams’ top-end speed and true athleticism are questionable. His versatility, instincts, and pre-draft performance show promise, but I don’t see it like others do.
Grade: Round 5
Landon Collins
13
Josh Proctor
SAF | OHIO STATE | 6'1 | 198
Proctor is a highly experienced safety with great alignment versatility. Proctor is a smart player who can quickly diagnose a play and react accordingly. He’s smooth pedalling back and has solid quickness. Proctor’s length is an asset, but his frame lacks true mass. He’s a solid run defender who can make plays across the field - but could benefit from improved block deconstruction. I don’t see many standout traits with Proctor, but his experience, versatility, and IQ could give him a role in the NFL.
Grade: Round 5
TBD
14
Kitan Oladapo
SAF | OREGON ST. | 6'2 | 219
Oladapo is a big and physical safety with a long frame. He’s an experienced defender who has alignment versatility. Oladapo is a strong hitter, but needs to be more consistent and reliable as a tackler. He’s an explosive downhill runner but lacks the start-stop short-area burst. Oladapo’s eyes sometimes deceive him, and he’ll need to do a better job diagnosing what’s in front of him. His versatility and size could make him a rotational piece in the NFL.