2023 NFL Draft: Brian Branch, Kelee Ringo Reside Atop Updated Safety Rankings

SAF10: JL Skinner (Boise State)

JL Skinner looks like a Create-A-Player. He stands just below 6-foot-4 and weighs 219 pounds, giving him a frame that simply is abnormal for the safety position. Skinner uses a blend of size and athleticism to regularly make plays on the ball, whether in coverage or run support.

Skinner’s athletic profile is special, but his movements don’t always match the traits. He can be stiff, failing to flip direction and stick with his assignment. On top of that, Skinner is strong, but I question his ability to shed blocks by bigger linemen.

Nonetheless, Skinner is an enticing prospect that could hear his name on day two.

NFL Draft Grade: Fringe Day 2

SAF9: Jaylon Jones (Texas A&M)

Most people have Jaylon Jones graded as a cornerback, and that is fair. However, Jones can utilize his physical traits much better as a safety. The Aggie star moves well but gets caught stiff when in man coverage.

Overall, his instincts in zone are impressive, but more than a handful of times, he reacted too slowly and allowed a monster gain by his receiver. Jones uses his burst and length to track down and wrap up ball carriers with ease, even if they squeak by him.

Jones is an incredibly tough projection to the NFL. While he checks every box physically, there is a real concern about where he will play on Sundays. A talent like this should go on day two with the chance of making teams look silly for passing on him.

NFL Draft Grade: Late Day 2

SAF8: Christopher Smith (Georgia)

I will surely catch flack for ranking Christopher Smith lower on my Big Board than the consensus. However, I had serious questions regarding size, athleticism, and agility while watching Smith’s tape, and his performance at the NFL Combine only exacerbated these concerns. Smith posted below-average testing numbers in nearly every category.

Regardless, the tape Smith put up was so impressive that one bad day of testing shouldn’t knock him off boards. He boasts some of the best instincts as a deep safety in this class and uses smarts to make up for deficiencies physically. Smith showed the ability to play multiple positions with the Bulldogs, giving a potential NFL team a wide array of ways to use the star defensive back.

Toeing the line between weighing the testing numbers vs. the tape is difficult in this instance. However, I tend to revert back to the tape when it comes to situations like this. Perhaps Smith wasn’t feeling 100%? Or maybe he is just not a great tester? I’ll trust what I watched at Georgia and take Smith on day two.

NFL Draft Grade: Late Day 2