The safety group in this year’s NFL Draft is an interesting one, to say the least. With several of these prospects capable of playing multiple spots in the secondary, it makes for a difficult time ranking them. But, without further ado, allow me to introduce my top 15 safety prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft.
SAF15: Benny Sapp III (Northern Iowa)
Benny Sapp was once a three-star recruit for the Minnesota Gophers. He appeared in 24 games but never garnered the playing time he desired, leading to a transfer to Northern Iowa. The Panthers gave Sapp what he was after, as the star defensive back became one of the best players in the FCS.
His ball skills stood out during his time with UNI, and the physicality he plays with makes for a versatile prospect. Sapp is a victim of over-pursuing ball carriers and can get beat by twitchy speedsters from the slot. He is a developmental piece, but worth taking on day three.
NFL Draft Grade: Mid-Day 3
SAF14: Jay Ward (LSU)
Jay Ward can play cornerback and safety in the NFL, but I see a higher upside playing deep due to inconsistency in outside coverage. Ward is a phenomenal athlete with exceptional range and improving ball skills and boasts a high football IQ. Look for a team to take Ward on day three, giving him a chance to compete for reps immediately in training camp.
NFL Draft Grade: Early Day 3
SAF13: Daniel Scott (California)
Daniel Scott is one of my favorite players to watch in the 2023 NFL Draft. He is an underrated athlete, displays insane versatility and top-tier ball skills, and boasts a frame capable of holding up throughout a season.
Scott’s age is hard to ignore, as he is already 25 years old. Additionally, his tape is littered with missed tackles, most of which come as a result of poor form. NFL coaching can unlock the rest of Scott’s potential, but it is fair to wonder how much more there is to unlock.
NFL Draft Grade: Early Day 3
SAF12: Brandon Joseph (Notre Dame)
Brandon Joseph has a superb feel for the game. His production at Northwestern and Notre Dame jumps off the screen, as well as his relentless motor. Joseph lacks top-end athleticism, as is evident by his average testing numbers at the Combine.
Still, Joseph is one of the safest bets at the position in this class. You know exactly what you are getting: a proven leader, strong ball skills, a hot motor, and a willing run stuffer, but a low ceiling. If Joseph makes a few Pro Bowls, it would not surprise me, but I am more willing to bet on higher-upside prospects on day two.
NFL Draft Grade: Early Day 3
SAF11: Jammie Robinson (Florida State)
Watching Jammie Robinson reminds me a bit of Jalen Pitre, a former second-round pick by the Texans. Robinson is best suited in the box, closer to the line of scrimmage. This positioning allows him to flex his elite tackling ability and showcases his dominant play strength.
Robinson gets in trouble the further away he is from the line. He lacks the speed to cover receivers downfield, resulting in less-than-ideal range for a safety. Furthermore, Robinson is late reacting at times, leading to chunk yardage by his assignment.
Still, Robinson is a fringe day-two pick as long as the team drafting him has a plan in place. The ideal situation is one similar to the aforementioned Pitre.
NFL Draft Grade: Fringe Day 2
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
SAF7: Ji’Ayir Brown (Penn State)
Ji’Ayir Brown recorded some of the best counting stats in the entire safety group. He intercepted ten passes in two seasons as a starter and posted five sacks in 2022, highlighting the versatility Brown brings to the table.
He split time evenly in the box and back deep as a free safety, which makes the projection easier for scouts. Brown may not be the most explosive guy in the world — or the strongest — but his tenacious attitude and confident approach will keep him on a roster for a long time.
Though willing, Brown is an extremely sloppy tackler that fails to finish plays. He hits hard, but rather than falling to the ground, the ball carriers seem to bounce off him and continue moving forward. The lack of ideal size plays a part, but refinement as a tackler could help exponentially.
NFL Draft Grade: Late Day 2
SAF6: Jartavius “Quan” Martin (Illinois)
Quan Martin is the first Illinois defensive back to earn a spot in these rankings. Admittedly, I was busy watching Devon Witherspoon and Sydney Brown at first, but if you watch the Fighting Illini long enough, Martin will catch your eye.
He is the definition of “polished”, having spent the last five seasons in Champaign as a steady force for the secondary. Martin set career-highs across the board in PFF grades for the following stats: run defense, tackling, and pass rush. He fell one point shy of eclipsing his best mark in coverage, as well.
Martin spent most of his time as the nickelback for the Illinois defense, a spot he should thrive in at the next level. Thanks to his coverage ability from the slot and his thumper mentality in run support, Martin looks like a positionally versatile piece to any secondary.
At the NFL Combine, he blew the crowd away with a mind-blowing vertical leap (44 inches) and 10-yard split (1.44), both of which rank in the 99th percentile of ALL defensive backs listed in the RAS database. To simplify, Martin is extremely explosive and has a great chance to be a better pro than he was a college player.
NFL Draft Grade: Mid-Day 2
SAF5: Jordan Battle (Alabama)
Jordan Battle owns experience that many in the class simply do not. He played in 50+ games with the Crimson Tide, blending his brilliant mind and elite speed profile into one of the best safeties in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Battle’s experience is important because he spent time in the box and as a deep safety. While I prefer him closer to the line of scrimmage, Battle more than held his own in coverage downfield, showcased by his six career interceptions.
As impactful as Battle is, he is not without shortcomings. Chief among them is a high missed tackle rate. Battle frequently arrives on time, and more times than not brings the ball carrier down, but when he whiffs, it always leads to a large gain. This is more about Battle being overeager and over-pursuing rather than poor form.
There are a couple of other areas I could nitpick, but all things being equal, Battle is as safe of a prospect as there is in this year’s safety group. He is a lock on day two.
NFL Draft Grade: Mid-Day 2
SAF4: Antonio Johnson (Texas A&M)
Antonio Johnson looks the part of a new-age safety. He boasts a sturdy frame, standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 198 pounds. Johnson uses this size to be effective in run support. He works well off blocks, and although he has missed tackles on tape, his form is near-perfect, making this less of a concern.
In coverage, Johnson is best suited in the slot. Nearly 70 percent of his career snaps came from the inside, giving teams a potential plug-and-play option. The former Aggie didn’t come down with many interceptions, but his ball skills at the catch point are borderline elite.
Johnson didn’t spend time as a deep safety with Texas A&M because he struggles to stick with receivers downfield. Johnson is fast enough, but too often, he was burnt to a crisp when his assignment got loose. Inside 15 yards, the star safety can stop anybody. Deeper than that? You’re playing with fire.
All in all, Johnson has adequate size, speed, drive, and instincts. He needs to work on finishing tackles and increasing his flexibility as he works downfield. If Johnson is asked to play primarily in the box or as a slot defender, he will be an instant contributor as a rookie.
NFL Draft Grade: Early-to-Mid Day 2
SAF3: Sydney Brown (Illinois)
Sydney Brown is another favorite of mine, as the Illinois secondary gains another member in these rankings. Like Martin, Brown is a mystifying athlete. He posted a pristine 9.66 RAS, acing the explosion and speed drills with flying colors.
This performance was expected for Brown, having a track star background from his high school days. The speed shows up on tape, as Brown displays elite range in the defensive backfield. His top-end speed is impressive, but not as impressive as his ability to cut on a dime.
Physically, Brown is a marvel. Mentally, he is even better. The Illini veteran has five years of college experience under his belt. He uses this experience to read and react efficiently. Brown wastes zero motion, regularly being in the right place at the right time on tape.
The concerns around Brown’s game are mostly technical. He is known to miss tackles at far too high of a rate, evident by his career 17.8 percent missed tackle rate. At 23 years old, Brown is also older than some would like, leading them to believe that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”.
I do not subscribe to this thought process. NFL coaches make the big bucks to develop players like Brown, and I trust a coaching staff to do exactly that. Clean up the fundamentals and allow Brown to utilize his god-given traits as an every-down safety.
NFL Draft Grade: Early Day 2
SAF2: Kelee Ringo (Georgia)
Kelee Ringo is quite polarizing in the NFL Draft community. Everyone agrees on how great of a pure athlete Ringo is, as his testing numbers and tape indicate. However, the disconnect comes when discussing Ringo’s projection to the NFL.
I am one of the few that graded Ringo as a safety rather than a cornerback. The reason? Ringo’s potential at safety is All-Pro, while I view him as an above-average-at-best corner. As athletic as Ringo is, there are several snaps where his hips are stiffer than the fry you dropped in the couch three weeks ago.
Aside from his clunky movements in coverage, Ringo checks nearly every other box. He is a hard hitter, thriving on coming downhill and punishing anyone in his way. The Georgia star is a physical freak of nature and is capable of staying with speedy slot receivers and bigger tight ends, alike.
His change of direction will be an issue when put in man coverage, but this would be quickly remedied with a move to safety. Ringo can serve as an elite slot defender and box safety on Sundays, with the athleticism and range to moonlight as a boundary corner from time to time. As a corner, I like Ringo. As a safety, I love him.
NFL Draft Grade: Fringe Day 1
SAF1: Brian Branch (Alabama)
Brian Branch is a versatile defensive back. He played primarily in the slot for Alabama, logging 1,182 snaps from inside during his career. In the slot, Branch has an unrivaled football IQ, using it to diagnose plays before they unfold.
He is an explosive athlete on tape, but his workout at the NFL Combine fell short of what many expected. In any event, Branch is the type of player you trust the tape on. He is always on his toes and shows impressive ball skills at the catch point.
Perhaps the most exciting part of Branch’s game is the way he attacks running lanes. He comes downhill with a full head of steam and regularly lays out ball carriers. Branch exhibits teach tape tackling form, consistently wrapping up and bringing down his intended target.
Branch also boasts the ability to play deep as a free safety, and his underrated range allows this. If it was up to me, Branch would be a slot defender full-time. He could blossom into one of the best nickel defenders in the entire NFL if his defensive coordinator sticks to the script. The Alabama playmaker deserves his lofty day-one status.
NFL Draft Grade: Mid-to-Late Day 1
NFL Draft Honorable Mentions:
Quindell Johnson (Memphis)
DeMarcco Hellams (Alabama)
Trey Dean III (Florida)
Rashad Torrence II (Florida)
Chamarri Conner (Virginia Tech)
Brandon Hill (Pittsburgh)
Jason Taylor II (Oklahoma State)
Ronnie Hickman (Ohio State)
Kaevon Merriweather (Iowa)
Gervarrius Owens (Houston)