Top 10 Players at the Safety Position in the 2018 NFL Draft

Traditionally safeties tend to be either good in coverage or good in run support. The modern breed of safety needs to be good at both.

This group has 2 potential superstars and a good number of prospects that could forge careers in the NFL, it’s a very deep class and I’m going to have to leave some very good players off this list. Along with coverage & run support ability I’m looking for good instincts, an ability to tackle and good speed/burst especially in recovery.

Here, I’ll outline my top 10 (before the Defensive Backs hit the combine) regardless of team fit/scheme.

Derwin James – Florida State – Sophomore – 6ft-3 – 211lb

James is as athletic as they come, he’s often referred to as a freak of nature. James combines his freakish athletic ability with great instincts and a nasty playing style to dominate on defense. James is a sure tackler and able to lay the big hit on the ball carrier although he might need to reign that in a little bit. James has excellent size and doesn’t lack strength. James is able to diagnose plays quickly and race downhill with tremendous acceleration/quickness. James has elite ball skills too and is equally capable in coverage or in run support. He projects as a strong safety but could move to free safety if a team needs him to. James has a great personality and tremendous confidence. James recovered well from an injury in 2016 but teams will want to make sure there are no lasting affects before they sign him off. James may well slide down the draft if there’s a run on quarterbacks taken early but he’s a top 5 talent and should be a top 10 pick.

Minkah Fitzpatrick – Alabama – Junior – 6ft-1 – 201lb

Fitzpatrick would have been my top corner if I’d have had him on that list but, for me, he’s definitely more suited to playing safety. Fitzpatrick’s versatility may be what endears him to teams the most but that also could be a detraction because he doesn’t, as yet, have a clearly defined position. Fitzpatrick has good size and he is an excellent athlete. He has great cover skills and is able to match up with tight ends over the middle and backs out of the backfield. Fitzpatrick is a playmaker with excellent ball skills. Fitzpatrick is intelligent and shows great awareness. Fitzpatrick is a decent tackler but he could work on this area and he doesn’t always give great effort in chasing down plays. Fitzpatrick compares well to Jalen Ramsey but his ability to play corner may be slightly more questionable. Like James, Fitzpatrick is a top 5 talent and, given his versatility, it’s almost a lock that he’s taken in the top 10.

Ronnie Harrison – Alabama – Junior – 6ft-3 – 215lb

Another Alabama defender that appears primed for success in the NFL. Harrison is a great athlete with exceptional instincts. Harrison has great acceleration and tracks sideline to sideline with fluidity and quickness. Harrison has the ability to change direction quickly and has a sharp closing burst. Harrison is aggressive and a big hitter but his tackling needs work. Harrison has good balls skills and he displays good hands when the ball is in the air. Harrison is able to cover well and offers plus potential as an in-box safety. Harrison is a playmaker that has also been used, to great success, on blitzes. Harrison has great, prototypical size and he shows great discipline on the field. Harrison could play at either safety spot and that versatility will entice teams, he can also help in the return game. I see him as a late first rounder and I’d be shocked if he was still available by day 2 of the draft.

DeShon Elliott – Texas – Junior – 6ft-2 – 205lb

Elliott is a classic in-box safety and has all the traits you’d look for in him being successful at the next level. Elliott has great size and a good frame. Elliott is physical, aggressive and tough. He is a great tackler and a hard hitter. Elliott appears to have good intelligence, awareness and instincts and he loves the game of football. Elliott is a playmaker who has a nose for the ball and always seems to be around the play. Elliott gets by athletically but he isn’t a top end athlete and he does play high and tight. Elliott can’t be relied on in coverage and he’ll struggle to close down quicker ball carriers in space. Elliott is a solid strong safety prospect that will appeal to many teams, he offers special teams potential too. I have seen, on some boards, Elliott considered a top 10 prospect but I don’t view him so highly. I can see Elliott being drafted in the first round but, more likely, he could be a pick very early on day 2.

Justin Reid – Stanford – Junior – 6ft-1 – 204lb

Reid is the younger brother of Eric who was a first round pick for the 49ers in 2013 and an excellent NFL player. Justin Reid is a versatile safety who can play in coverage and in the box. Reid is a quick athlete with good agility and rapid change of direction. Reid is experienced playing in both man and zone coverage schemes. Reid has good instincts and awareness and he diagnoses plays quickly. Reid is able to match and mirror receivers well to limit separation. Reid does sometimes lose concentration and drop coverage but he has great closing burst which is vital in avoiding giving up big plays. Reid showed great production as a junior in 2017 with over 100 tackles and 5 interceptions. Reid has risen draft boards of late and he appears to be someone who will continue to improve at the next level. He could do with adding a little more bulk as a pro but I can see him being drafted in the first round or the second at latest.

Quin Blanding – Virginia – Senior – 6ft-2 – 215lb

Blanding has great size and he is well built/muscly. Blanding is an experienced safety as a 4year starter with great intelligence and a passion for the game. Blanding plays with a high motor and gives unwavering effort on each snap. Blanding is a high volume tackling machine and leads by example. Blanding plays with good body control and balance but has tight hips which limit his movement slightly. Blanding isn’t the most explosive athlete and he lacks closing speed. Blanding isn’t the best in coverage and that’s unlikely to improve. Blanding is generally listed as a free safety but I would be inclined to play him as an in-box strong safety due to his lack of coverage ability. Regardless, Blanding should be able to carve out a role in the NFL even if it’s just on special teams. The draft projection for Blanding would be in the range of third-fourth round.

Kyzir White – West Virginia – Senior – 6ft-2 – 218lb

I could have easily listed White as a corner but he may not have made that list anyway. I think, like Fitzpatrick, that White is better suited to playing free safety in the NFL although his height and weight will make teams looks at his potential covering on the outside. White has an NFL ready frame and he is both physical and aggressive on the field. White is competitive and plays with a great motor, he leads by example. White shows good instincts and play diagnosis. White’s versatility is much sought after as well as his ability to cover tight ends over the middle. White only has average play speed and he would have limitations against the quicker receivers if playing on the outside. White doesn’t have great hands which limits his playmaking ability, this is especially surprising as his brother is Kevin White a former 1st round receiver. White has potential and a lot of coveted skills, his versatility may push him up to the second round in the draft but I think he may slip to the third.

Marcus Allen – Penn State – Senior – 6ft-2 – 205lb

Allen is another safety that provides positional versatility and he could line up at free or strong safety in the NFL. Allen has good size and range. Allen is a good athlete and a downhill player that closes quickly on the ball carrier. Allen is also very physical and a decent tackler able to lay the big hit. Allen plays well against the run and is decent in coverage. Allen is solid and consistent, he’s a passionate leader on the field and in the locker room. Allen is instinctive and reads the game well, he’s got playmaking potential and has been productive in college. Allen needs to work on some of the technical aspects of his position such as his footwork but he is one of the more well-rounded safeties and would provide a solid if unspectacular selection for any team. As with Blanding, Allen’s draft range would be third-fourth round.

Armani Watts – Texas A&M – Senior – 5ft-11 – 205lb

Watts is a great athlete, he’s explosive and very quick. Watts doesn’t have the ideal safety frame, he’s shorter and thinner than you’d like but he is physical on the field. Watts attacks downhill and is a decent tackler with the ability to make big hits. Watts is a playmaker and a ballhawk, he plays hard and fast and is always around the ball. Watts is experienced as a 4 year starter and he has good instincts. Watts needs to work on both his coverage skills and his tackling as deficiencies in these may hurt his draft stock. He could also do with being more consistent as there have been examples of lapses of concentration and mental errors. Watts has an impressive skill set and his athleticism will work in his favour but his lack of height and coverage ability may turn teams of viewing him as an elite free safety. For me, Watts should find a home in the draft relatively early on day 3.

Siran Neal – Jacksonville State – Senior – 6ft-1 – 205lb

Neal is my wild card here but only because he’s a small school prospect and not because he lacks potential or skills. I chose Neal over a number of other prospects (Edmunds, Whitehead, Bates, Igwebuike) this is a very deep safety class as I said earlier. Neal is physical and aggressive and a really good run defender. Neal appears to have good instincts and awareness and he is a very capable playmaker. Neal has good size even if he could bulk up a little more. Neal played corner for most of his college career but I project him as a strong safety. Neal has decent coverage skills but he’ll need to improve his technique if he’s to match up against receivers in the NFL. Neal has great potential and, with the right coaching could be a very good player in the NFL. Neal has moved up draft boards after a good showing at the Senior Bowl. It’s hard to predict where Neal would be drafted but he should see his name called fairly early on day 3.

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