NFL Draft’s best safety prospects, ranked for the 2024 class

April 16, 2024

We’re inching closer to the 2024 NFL Draft, and there are plenty of prospects and position groups to break down before the first round begins. Next we’ll look at some of the safety prospects in this year’s class.

Here are the safeties that SB Nation considers to be among the top 10 at the position in this year’s draft class. How did we reach a consensus? SB Nation’s community of NFL Draft analysts each rank their top safety prospects, and this list represents the cumulative result of those individual rankings. I am.

No safeties will be taken in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and it looks like the same situation may continue in 2024. The last time a safety was selected in the first round of the draft was in 2022, and that time was Kyle Hamilton.Ranked 14th overall baltimore ravens. With the majority of the NFL switching to primarily “two-deep” safeties, the overall value of the position has gone down a bit. We no longer see many “do it all” safeties as the focal point of a team’s defense. Instead, safety equipment has been given a more defined niche role. And this year’s class will certainly deliver that in a variety of ways.

Read below to see who made it to SB Nation’s list of top 10 safeties for the 2024 NFL Draft class.

10. Malik Mustafa, Wake Forest

Mustafa is a compact safety with above-average playing strength. His positional strengths lie in his aggressiveness and ability to quickly close in on tackles. Malik Mustafa will likely spend most of his time near the line of scrimmage as a down safety in the NFL. Mustafa has good athleticism, but he can look out of place when playing in the deep safety position.

9. Cole Bishop, Utah

It had the widest vote range of any of our lists. Some voters gave Bishop the highest he got 3 votes, and the lowest he got 11 votes. I confess, my vote was for Bishop with his 3 votes and he is one of my favorite candidates for him. This draft. Bishop was a third-year starter and the leader of Utah’s secondary. He’s a great athlete and versatile enough to play in the box or high up in a split-safety look. Bishop was used as a “robber” in coverage and was a threat when he went down. He has the athleticism to cover tight ends man-to-man and the tenacity to put his hit stick on an imposing ball carrier. I think Bishop has a chance to be the best safety out of this class if the right situation arises.

8. Beau Blade, Maryland

Blade offers quality size and length for an NFL safety and had two solid years of productive experience at Maryland. He takes good angles when collapsing against ball carriers in the run game and against wide receivers in zone coverage. Blade seems to have good play recognition and he has a knack for playing the football through the air. He may start as a rotational safety and special teams player, but Blade has a chance to develop into a starter.

7. James Williams (Miami)

Williams is expected to be a big safety at 6-foot-4 and 231 pounds. Williams doesn’t do much in coverage situations, so he plans to be a box safety or nickel linebacker. He is an explosive hitter who uses his height and athleticism to quickly fill run lanes. It may take some time to figure out exactly how Williams fits into an NFL defense, but he has some unique traits that give him an advantage near the line of scrimmage.

6. Dadrion Taylor Demerson, Texas Tech University

Taylor Demerson may have the best instincts and soccer IQ of anyone in this group. His foresight and advanced processing skills often put him in the right position to make plays, and he has a natural ability to make those plays. Taylor-Demerson’s downside is that he doesn’t have the size required for a typical NFL safety (5-foot-10, 197 pounds), but he makes up for it with his versatility. He can play multiple positions in the secondary and is comfortable in a variety of defensive schemes. He received 1 vote and ranked him 3rd in our list.

5. Jaden Hicks, Washington Street

Hicks had a wide spread in the rankings, receiving one vote for second place and one vote for ninth place. The redshirt sophomore from Washington has an upbeat vibe. He has the desirable size (6-foot-2, 211 pounds) and athleticism of an NFL safety, but may need more time to develop. Hicks expertly owns his area of the field, and when the ball is close to him, he is a force to be reckoned with. Although his tackling is inconsistent and needs to improve, Hicks is an interesting prospect with a chance to be an above-average starter.

4. Kamren Kinchens (Miami)

Frankly, Kintjens had a terrible performance at the NFL Scouting Combine. His draft stock plummeted – from being discussed as the draft’s top safety to questioning whether he would be drafted by the end of day two. That being said, Kintjens did some damage control and improved some of his athletic test numbers in the pros. Day. Regardless of the number of tests, Kintjens is a game-changing safety, as evidenced by his 11 points over the past two seasons. His game tape and instincts are second to none, but his poor testing speed and occasional mental mistakes could give teams pause. Kintjens may need a more defined role in the NFL, perhaps closer to the line of scrimmage, but he will make plays wherever he is placed.

3. Karen Block, University of Southern California

Brock is a long-range deep safety prospect who also has the athleticism to match man-to-man in the slot. He’s not great in run support, so he’ll likely be limited to a safety role. That’s totally fine considering he’s great in the role. Brock is a fluid mover who has the body control and timing of a wide receiver and can change direction on the fly. No matter which team chooses to block, their deep safety position will be locked in for the time being.

2. Javon Bullard, Georgia

Simply put, Bullard is a good football player. He may not be the fastest or biggest among his peers, but he knows how to play the position and plays well. Bullard seems more comfortable closer to the line of scrimmage, which could allow him to be used in a key role in the NFL. He provides production in both run support and pass coverage. Bullard has excellent spatial awareness in zone coverage and shows natural tenacity when latching onto wide receivers. A true playmaker, Bullard will find a way to positively impact the game no matter where he plays.

1. Tyler Nubin, Minnesota

Nubin was unanimously the No. 1 safety of the voters. He has the ideal size, length, and instincts to be a top-level ball-hawking safety in the NFL. Nubin has an uncanny ability to “time the pounce” on the ball when it’s in the air. He’s competent in run support, but he’s also good when playing over the top as a deep safety. Nubin has that “it” factor of an elite playmaker and likes to play games with opposing quarterbacks and tempt them into throwing the ball where he wants. At times he appears to be playing chess to the signal caller’s game of checkers. Tyler Nubin will be an instant impact player the moment he steps on an NFL field.