A modern NFL safety is expected to do a bit of everything: Provide deep, broad coverage on one play. Man up with a slot receiver the next. Quickly decide whether to run with the TE up the seam or switch to a crossing receiver. And, now and then, jump up to stop the run.
These myriad duties mean athleticism is more important than ever, with physicality taking on less importance. You’ll notice that in our top players here. There are questions about tackling and dealing with bigger, stronger receivers or tight ends for each of these prospects. What we’re sure of, though, is that they have a good feel for the position and will be in the right place to make plays — and that’s more important than ever against increasingly complicated offenses.
1. Grant Delpit, LSU
It may have looked like it on last year’s tape, but Delpit didn’t just forget how to tackle. I’ll choose to ignore his tackling woes in 2019 (he was injured) and focus on everything else he did well. Delpit is a play-maker at the free safety position and can drop into the slot and man-up on receivers and tight ends. His freelancing may be a bit of a concern, but he makes enough good plays to offset the bad ones. If Delpit did a better job of tackling in 2019, we’d be talking about him as a top-10 pick.
Grade: Mid 1st Round
2. Xavier McKinney, Alabama
Size is my only concern with McKinney, who was small even for an SEC safety. But that didn’t stop Nick Saban from trusting him to play linebacker on some snaps. McKinney may not have ideal size or special movement skills, but he’s a smart football player who can play every position in the defensive secondary. There’s a role for him in every scheme. Just don’t ask him to cover bigger receivers and tight ends. That’s when his lack of size can be exploited.
Grade: Late 1st Round
3. Antoine Winfield Jr., Minnesota
Heading into the Combine, Winfield was seen as a good football player who may not have the athleticism to play at a high level on Sundays. Welp, a 4.45 40-yard dash (and a 10-yard split that put him in the 95th percentile at his position) alleviate those concerns. After checking the athletic boxes, NFL teams can lean on his tape, and, man, is it impressive. Winfield is an instinctive playmaker who just lives around the ball. He’s a bit undersized but it was never a problem in the Big Ten. Whichever team drafts him knows it will be getting a good football player.
Grade: Early 2nd Round
4. Ashtyn Davis, California
If your defense needs a safety to patrol the deep middle, Davis is the prospect for you. He missed the Combine with an injury, but it’s apparent on tape that the Cal product has the range to be an impact player in centerfield. Now, I don’t know if he’ll be comfortable dropping closer to the line of scrimmage and manning up on slot receivers, which limits his value as a pass defender, but smart teams won’t put him in that position.
Grade: Mid 2nd Round
5. Kyle Dugger, Lenoir-Rhyne
Playing at Lenoir-Rhyne, the competition Duggar faced is obviously going to raise some red flags. But the small-school product held his own against FBS talent during the Senior Bowl and then ran a 4.9 40-yard dash to go along with a 42-inch vertical. Athleticism is not an issue. The tape shows a ferocious tackler who won’t be afraid to make plays around the line of scrimmage. It remains to be seen how he’ll hold up in coverage against NFL receivers. Until we see that, we don’t know what Duggar’s ceiling is.
Grade: Mid 2nd Round
Five more prospects to keep an eye on…
6. Jeremy Chinn, Southern Illinois
7. K’Von Wallace, Clemson
8. Terrell Burgess, Utah
9. Kenny Robinson, St. Louis Battlehawks (XFL)
10. Geno Stone, Iowa