2021 NFL Draft safety rankings: Two man race for top spot
By John Blair
While no safety in the 2021 NFL Draft class has a high first-round grade Richie Grant and Trevon Moehrig both carry late first to early second-round grades. Another player who earns a second-round grade is Andre Cisco of Syracuse who is one of the better ballhawks in this year’s draft. On day three of the 2021 NFL Draft, a couple of Cincinnati safeties show intriguing potential.
Most underrated safety in 2021 NFL Draft: James Wiggins
A player who is being undervalued in the 2021 NFL Draft is James Wiggins of Cincinnati. Wiggins has received a free agent grade by Pro Football Network. While Wiggins does have some medical concerns having missed the entire 2019 season due to a torn, he is a physical safety who posts some pretty impressive testing numbers. He should be able to earn a starting spot in the NFL as a strong safety.
Most overrated safety in 2021 NFL Draft: Talanoa Hufanga
Despite being named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year last year, USC’s Talanoa Hufanga has plenty of questions when it comes to how his game will translate to the NFL. One of these is he is not a very fluid athlete and will likely struggle in coverage. He lacks great speed as well only running the 40-yard dash in 4.63 seconds. One other question is his durability as he has battled injuries throughout his time at USC.
Day three gem in 2021 NFL Draft: Darrick Forrest
Not very often do you find a Group of Five school with two safeties in the same draft with top 150 grades but that is the case at Cincinnati. While James Wiggins might be the most underrated safety in the 2021 NFL Draft, Darrick Forrest is another prospect who could earn a starting job in the NFL. Forrest is an aggressive run defender who finished his career with 200 tackles.
Safety that is the biggest risk in the 2021 NFL Draft: Andre Cisco
While Syracuse’s Andre Cisco might be an underrated prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft, he also comes with some risk. The biggest risk with him is his injury history as he is coming off a torn ACL which cost him most of the 2020 season, and he also missed three games in 2019 due to injury.
Top small school safety in 2021 NFL Draft: Christian Uphoff
A player who could help an NFL team on both defense and on special teams is Christian Uphoff of Illinois State. On defense, he is a good-sized safety who holds up well in coverage. On special teams, he is a good return man and is someone who averaged over 23 yards on kickoff returns in 2019.
2021 NFL Draft Safety Rankings
1. Richie Grant, UCF (first round)
2. Trevon Moehrig, TCU (second round)
3. Andre Cisco, Syracuse (second round)
4. Jevon Holland, Oregon (third round)
5. Hamsah Nasirildeen, Florida State (third round)
6. James Wiggins, Cincinnati (fourth round)
7. Jamar Johnson, Indiana (fourth round)
8. Darrick Forrest, Cincinnati (fifth round)
9. Richard LeCounte III, Georgia (fifth round)
10. Tyree Gillespie, Missouri (fifth round)
11. Talanoa Hufanga, USC (sixth round)
12. Shawn Davis, Florida (sixth round)
13. Ar’Darius Washington, TCU (sixth round)
14. Divine Deablo, Virginia Tech (sixth round)
15. Caden Sterns, Texas (sixth round)
16. Christian Uphoff, Illinois State (sixth round)
17. Joshuah Bledsoe, Missouri (seventh round)
18. Brady Breeze, Oregon ( seventh round)
19. Paris Ford, Pittsburgh (free agent)
20. Damar Hamlin, Pittsburgh (free agent)
21. Jamien Sherwood, Auburn (free agent)
22. Tariq Thompson, San Diego State (free agent)
23. Qwynnterrio Cole. Alcorn State (free agent)