The 11 finest safeties within the 2023 NFL Draft, ranked

The protection class this 12 months shouldn’t be what it has been in years previous. Whereas the 2023 NFL Draft class does possess a high-end expertise on the prime who will possible go within the first spherical, there may be not a major quantity of depth to it within the first three rounds. Final 12 months, 4 safeties had been chosen inside the prime 37 picks of the draft. This 12 months, we might even see as few as three being chosen on the primary two days mixed. Regardless of that, there are many draftable Day 3 safeties who might be good depth items and particular teamers. So, with none extra delay let’s examine how our voters ranked this 12 months’s security class beginning at 11.

11. Brandon Hill, Pittsburgh

Hill is a security who’s going to have the ability to assist extra within the passing sport than the working sport as he’s stable in protection. Regardless of his smaller body, Hill is a security who packs a punch and may ship some large hits. Hill tasks as a late Day 3 decide however he has met with just a few groups together with the Houston Texas, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys.

10. Brandon Joseph, Notre Dame

Joseph solely performed a season for the Combating Irish as he transferred in from Northwestern the place he was a crew captain. Joseph has a nostril for the soccer as over his final three seasons he has 10 interceptions and a pressured fumble. Ball manufacturing like that alone will assist spark curiosity in him, nevertheless, his poor mix numbers together with a 4.62 40-yard sprint will definitely damage his inventory.

9. Daniel Scott, California

Scott is significantly older than most NFL Draft prospects at age 24 and was a sixth-year senior final 12 months for the Golden Bears. While drafting a participant of that age may be off-putting for some groups, it does include some perks as he was a captain at Cal and is an especially mature participant. On the minimal, Scott goes to be an essential particular groups piece which groups are at all times on the lookout for on the ultimate day of the draft.

8. Chris Smith, Georgia

Chris Smith was the beginning security for the back-to-back Nationwide Champion Georgia Bulldogs, which helps give him some on the spot credibility. Smith’s measurables don’t leap off the chart as 5’11, 192 kilos, nor did his mix numbers as he ran a 4.62 40-yard sprint. Regardless of that, Smith goes to be drafted in some unspecified time in the future on Day 3, however he does challenge as extra of a particular teamer and depth security versus a starter.

7. Jartavius Martin, Illinois

Martin was one of many extra influential gamers for top-of-the-line defenses in faculty soccer final season. He’s a somebody who brings a variety of versatility as he has the flexibility to play inside as a nook or line up as a security. Martin has the ball hawking acumen that you just search for in a security as he totaled 7 profession picks for the Combating Illini, 3 of which got here final season. Along with that he was additionally capable of rack up 222 profession complete tackles.

6. JL Skinner, Boise State

Skinner is a big-bodied security who’s going to have the ability to make the vast majority of his affect in or close to the field. Sadly, Skinner was unable to check at his Professional Day or the NFL Mix as he was coming off surgical procedure for a torn pec, however he might be prepared for the beginning of the NFL season. Skinner has met with a number of groups within the pre-draft cycle together with the Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers.

5. Jammie Robinson, Florida State

Robinson had a poor mix which has damage his draft inventory a bit. The previous Florida State Seminal ran a 4.59 40-yard sprint with a 1.58 10-yard break up, neither of that are nice numbers. Regardless of his struggles although there may be nonetheless perception in Robinson round NFL circles as one AFC space scout put it “I’ve heard the argument which you can’t play him at security and he’s not a real nickel. That’s overthinking it. You discover a place for him as a result of he can ball.”

4. Jordan Battle, Alabama

A participant we are going to cowl later within the listing garnered sufficient consideration final season to make Battle, a former four-star recruit, underrated. Final season, he was an AP third-team All-American and he’s appeared in 52 video games over 4 seasons for the Crimson Tide. Whereas Battle doesn’t have the ceiling that the remaining three gamers on the listing have, he’ll nonetheless be a contributor as a run protection due to his IQ, physicality, and skills as a tackler.

3. Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M

Johnson is a really versatile security who can line up each within the field to assist within the run sport or play a deep half within the passing sport. Johnson, nevertheless, shouldn’t be the kind of security you’re going to ask to be a ballhawk, as in 25 profession video games for Texas A&M he has one interception. Regardless of that, Johnson tasks as a participant who’s going to be a stable contributor on the NFL stage.

2. Sydney Brown, Illinois

The fifth-year senior is coming off of a dominant season by which he intercepted six balls and defended one other seven. Brown is a smaller security as he measured in at a hair beneath 5’10, however his testing numbers had been greater than robust. He ran an official 4.47 40-yard sprint with a 1.51 10-yard break up and 40.5-inch vertical leap.

1. Brian Department, Alabama

The consensus primary security on this 12 months’s class, Department was used because the “star” defender in Nick Saban’s protection. He additionally lined up within the slot, as a deep half, and a single excessive security. He’s an especially good participant who makes a major affect in each the working and passing sport. The do-it-all defender is anticipated to be chosen in some unspecified time in the future within the again half of the primary spherical and can be capable of make a major affect in his rookie season.