2025 NFL Draft - Top Safeties

Most Recent Update: 11/3/2024 7:00 PM EST



Rank O/A Chng Player/School Ht/Wt Elig. BIO
1
8
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect StarksMalaki.jpg
Malaki Starks
Georgia
6'1"
205
JR
2
58
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect EmmanworiNick.jpg
Nick Emmanwori
South Carolina
6'3"
220
JR
3
63
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect WinstonKevin.jpg
Kevin Winston Jr.
Penn State
6'2"
204
JR
4
65
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect MooreRod.jpg
Rod Moore
Michigan
6'0"
185
SR
5
78
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect MooreMalachi.jpg
Malachi Moore
Alabama
6'0"
198
RSR
6
79
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect SandersShilo.jpg
Shilo Sanders
Colorado
6'0"
195
GR
7
100
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect SabbKeon.jpg
Keon Sabb
Alabama
6'1"
208
RSO
8
102
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect MukubaAndrew.jpg
Andrew Mukuba
Texas
6'0"
185
SR
9
112
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect BowmanBilly.jpg
Billy Bowman Jr.
Oklahoma
5'10"
190
SR
10
129
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect RamseyKamari.jpg
Kamari Ramsey
USC
6'1"
205
RSO
11
137
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect CastroSebastian.jpg
Sebastian Castro
Iowa
5'11"
205
RSR
12
158
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect RansomLathan.jpg
Lathan Ransom
Ohio State
6'0"
207
RSR
13
161
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect WohlerHunter.jpg
Hunter Wohler
Wisconsin
6'2"
211
JR
14
172
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect NwankpaXavier.jpg
Xavier Nwankpa
Iowa
6'2"
210
JR
15
190
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect WattsXavier.jpg
Xavier Watts
Notre Dame
6'0"
204
RSR
16
233
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect BurksAubrey.jpg
Aubrey Burks
West Virginia
5'11"
202
SR
17
265
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect BanksYam.jpg
Yam Banks
Ole Miss
6'1"
208
RSR
18
288
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect CatalonJalen.jpg
Jalen Catalon
UNLV
5'10"
201
RSR
19
325
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect ArnoldAkili.jpg
Akili Arnold
USC
6'0"
200
RSR
20
354
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect CooperJeremiah.jpg
Jeremiah Cooper
Iowa State
6'0"
185
JR
21
360
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect ChildressZion.jpg
Zion Childress
Kentucky
6'0"
190
SR
22
368
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect BurnsMajor.jpg
Major Burns
LSU
6'2"
193
RSR
23
396
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect ScottMiles.jpg
Miles Scott
Illinois
5'11"
210
JR
24
411
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect SchulteQuinn.jpg
Quinn Schulte
Iowa
6'1"
209
GR
25
428
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect ClarkBud.jpg
Bud Clark
TCU
6'2"
190
RSR
26
442
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect PaigeMakari.jpg
Makari Paige
Michigan
6'3"
208
RSR
27
448
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect FreylerBeau.jpg
Beau Freyler
Iowa State
6'2"
220
SR
28
470
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect SaundersJohn.jpg
John Saunders Jr.
Ole Miss
6'2"
200
RSR
29
475
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect ScottXavier.jpg
Xavier Scott
Illinois
5'11"
190
JR
30
476
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect LawrenceKey.jpg
Key Lawrence
Ole Miss
6'1"
203
RSR
31
479
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect AndersonBryce.jpg
Bryce Anderson
Texas A&M
5'11"
195
JR
32
484
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect YoungIsheem.jpg
Isheem Young
North Texas
5'10"
215
RSR
33
486
--
photo of 2025 NFL Draft prospect HendersonJack.jpg
Jack Henderson
Minnesota
6'2"
215
SR


Safeties Drafted by Round
Round 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 Avg
RD1 0 0 3 0 0 0 3 0.9
RD2 4 2 3 3 5 4 1 3.1
RD3 3 3 3 1 4 2 4 2.9
RD4 5 2 2 2 3 5 4 3.3
RD5 4 5 2 8 2 2 3 3.7
RD6 1 3 6 5 4 3 2 3.5
RD7 5 4 4 2 2 1 0 2.6
Total 22 20 23 21 20 17 17 20.0


Glossary of Terms
Safety Position
Strong Safety (SS)

A safety that often plays closer to the line of scrimmage and is more often responsible for covering backs/tight ends and defending the run, though is often interchangeable with the Free Safety depending on offensive formation/motion.

Free Safety (FS)

A safety that often plays the deeper portion of the field, with more deep zone coverage responsibilities, though is often interchangeable with the strong safety depending on offensive formation/motion.

Monster/Monsterback

When a strong safety drops down into the box as an extra linebacker in a hybrid role.

Moneybacker/Money LB

Popularized by Deone Buchannon and the Arizona Cardinals, similar to a monster backer but often stays on the field with both safeties present, creating a 3-safety alignment.

"Rock-n-Roll"

A term used when safeties are interchangeable and will move up or down between the strong and free positions based on formations/offensive shifts

Cover 0

All defensive backs are either blitzing or in man coverage (no help over the top).

Cover 1

All defensive backs are in man coverage except for the free safety who is responsible for the deep middle of the field.

Cover 2

Each safety is in charge of half of the deep portion of the field, CBs can be in man or zone coverage.

Tampa 2

Similar to cover 2, made famous by Tony Dungy in Tampa Bay, but with a twist; the middle linebacker drops into a deeper zone than usual, creating a hybrid cover 2/cover 3 look.

Cover 3

Zone coverage in which two CBs cover one third of the field (each on the outside) while the FS mans the middle third

Quarters

Sometimes called cover 4, is similar to cover 3 except each CB has an outside quarter and each safety has an inside quarter.

Nickel

A formation in which 5 defensive backs are in the field (one in the slot).

Dime

A formation in which 6 defensive backs are in the field (two in the slot).


















2025 Position Rankings
-- Safeties --
Most Recent Update:11/3/2024

Position Rank

1

Overall Rank

8

Malaki Starks

    

Georgia

JR

Height:

6'1"

Weight:

205

Position Rank

2

Overall Rank

58

Nick Emmanwori

    

South Carolina

JR

Height:

6'3"

Weight:

220

Position Rank

3

Overall Rank

63

Kevin Winston Jr.

    

Penn State

JR

Height:

6'2"

Weight:

204

Position Rank

4

Overall Rank

65

Rod Moore

    

Michigan

SR

Height:

6'0"

Weight:

185

Position Rank

5

Overall Rank

78

Malachi Moore

    

Alabama

RSR

Height:

6'0"

Weight:

198

Position Rank

6

Overall Rank

79

Shilo Sanders

    

Colorado

GR

Height:

6'0"

Weight:

195

Position Rank

7

Overall Rank

100

Keon Sabb

    

Alabama

RSO

Height:

6'1"

Weight:

208

Position Rank

8

Overall Rank

102

Andrew Mukuba

    

Texas

SR

Height:

6'0"

Weight:

185

Position Rank

9

Overall Rank

112

Billy Bowman Jr.

    

Oklahoma

SR

Height:

5'10"

Weight:

190

Position Rank

10

Overall Rank

129

Kamari Ramsey

    

USC

RSO

Height:

6'1"

Weight:

205

Position Rank

11

Overall Rank

137

Sebastian Castro

    

Iowa

RSR

Height:

5'11"

Weight:

205

Position Rank

12

Overall Rank

158

Lathan Ransom

    

Ohio State

RSR

Height:

6'0"

Weight:

207

Position Rank

13

Overall Rank

161

Hunter Wohler

    

Wisconsin

JR

Height:

6'2"

Weight:

211

Position Rank

14

Overall Rank

172

Xavier Nwankpa

    

Iowa

JR

Height:

6'2"

Weight:

210

Position Rank

15

Overall Rank

190

Xavier Watts

    

Notre Dame

RSR

Height:

6'0"

Weight:

204

Position Rank

16

Overall Rank

233

Aubrey Burks

    

West Virginia

SR

Height:

5'11"

Weight:

202

Position Rank

17

Overall Rank

265

Yam Banks

    

Ole Miss

RSR

Height:

6'1"

Weight:

208

Position Rank

18

Overall Rank

288

Jalen Catalon

    

UNLV

RSR

Height:

5'10"

Weight:

201

Position Rank

19

Overall Rank

325

Akili Arnold

    

USC

RSR

Height:

6'0"

Weight:

200

Position Rank

20

Overall Rank

354

Jeremiah Cooper

    

Iowa State

JR

Height:

6'0"

Weight:

185

Position Rank

21

Overall Rank

360

Zion Childress

    

Kentucky

SR

Height:

6'0"

Weight:

190

Position Rank

22

Overall Rank

368

Major Burns

    

LSU

RSR

Height:

6'2"

Weight:

193

Position Rank

23

Overall Rank

396

Miles Scott

    

Illinois

JR

Height:

5'11"

Weight:

210

Position Rank

24

Overall Rank

411

Quinn Schulte

    

Iowa

GR

Height:

6'1"

Weight:

209

Position Rank

25

Overall Rank

428

Bud Clark

    

TCU

RSR

Height:

6'2"

Weight:

190

Position Rank

26

Overall Rank

442

Makari Paige

    

Michigan

RSR

Height:

6'3"

Weight:

208

Position Rank

27

Overall Rank

448

Beau Freyler

    

Iowa State

SR

Height:

6'2"

Weight:

220

Position Rank

28

Overall Rank

470

John Saunders Jr.

    

Ole Miss

RSR

Height:

6'2"

Weight:

200

Position Rank

29

Overall Rank

475

Xavier Scott

    

Illinois

JR

Height:

5'11"

Weight:

190

Position Rank

30

Overall Rank

476

Key Lawrence

    

Ole Miss

RSR

Height:

6'1"

Weight:

203

Position Rank

31

Overall Rank

479

Bryce Anderson

    

Texas A&M

JR

Height:

5'11"

Weight:

195

Position Rank

32

Overall Rank

484

Isheem Young

    

North Texas

RSR

Height:

5'10"

Weight:

215

Position Rank

33

Overall Rank

486

Jack Henderson

    

Minnesota

SR

Height:

6'2"

Weight:

215

Safeties Drafted by Round
Round 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 Avg
RD1 3 0 0 0 3 1.2
RD2 3 3 5 4 1 3.2
RD3 3 1 4 2 4 2.8
RD4 2 2 3 5 4 3.2
RD5 2 8 2 2 3 3.4
RD6 6 5 4 3 2 4.0
RD7 4 2 2 1 0 1.8
Total 23 21 20 17 17 19.6