2024 NFL Prospect Rankings: Safeties

Instinctive safety with imposing size and length. He plays with a high motor and a degree of swagger. He has experience in the box and as a split zone safety in quarters and cover two. As a quarters and box safety he flies downhill and tracks ball carriers with no hesitation. His angles to the ball are normally precise and he makes a lot of plays near the line. He’s a physical tackler making big hits and using his length to wrap up ball carriers in space. He’s a solid underneath cover safety with ability to stress quarterbacks with his range and length in underneath hook/curl/flat zones. He shows remarkable extension to get to interception opportunities. As a somewhat high cut athlete he has some stickiness in change of direction creating some stall in transition.

Kinchens is an instinctive and highly productive safety with remarkable range and ball skills. He’s been a force as a one high safety but also has experience in two high looks and rolling to the outside box. A smooth mover with fluid hips and easy transitions he has solid change of direction skill and ability to accelerate out of a break. As a deep zone defender he has eye discipline to see pattern pressure and the quarterback’s delivery key. He has excellent hands for the interception with tremendous extension to the ball. There’s some inconsistency processing route combinations as he can get attracted to an intermediate route instead of balancing or staying deep.

Two year starter. Bullard is a high football IQ safety with excellent athleticism for the position. Has experience in multiple coverage playing one high, quarters, deep half in cover 2 along with playing the overhang spot as a nickel. Instinctive with read and react he is precise reading run/pass and is rarely out of position. Flies downhill in quarters run support and normally gathers and drives through tackles. Quick to open his hips to get over the top in deep coverage he shows incredible range as a half and deep hole defender. His precise angles put him in position to make plays on the ball. Excellent ball skills he gets to the high point while tracking. Sudden plant and drive with the ball in the air on underneath throws. Has a tendency to go low on tackles and will miss at times. Lack of ideal height and size will be a concern for positional versatility, but he can find a role in most defensive schemes.

Tall, lengthy and slender prospect who flashes outstanding range and ball skills. He’s at his best as a one and two high safety with limited experience rolling to the outside box. Patrolling the deep zones he uses his length to extend to the ball with a remarkable catch radius. A receiver in high school he has outstanding hands and ability to attack the catch point. He’s instinctive to read and react to the quarterback and route combinations. His range is sideline to sideline with normally precise angles to the ball. He’s made some incredible plays on the ball coming from a distance.

High upside prospect as a red shirt sophpmore. Versatile with experience as a deep safety in one and two high looks along with playing an overhang and in the box at linebacker depth. Solid instincts he tracks downhill in run support and makes a lot of plays close to the line. As a zone defender he's solid reading the quarterback along with reacting to receivers in short and intermediate zones As a deep defender he balances multiple routes and is sudden reacting with the ball in the air. Makes some big hits separating receivers from the ball. Still a work in progress as he can get out of position. Will miss a tackle at times going low.