2018 NFL Draft – Safety

Complete NFL Draft Rankings – S:

You are currently viewing the 246 best safeties in the 2018 NFL Draft. Our top safety prospects are selected after thousands of hours carefully scouting the best defensive backs in college football. Even though only about 20 will get selected in the draft, dozens more are signed as free agents, and many more receive a training camp invite. Find who is a first round talent, and who is likely nothing more than a training camp body. Find draft sleepers, draft stars, who will be a bust, and who is being undervalued.

BNB Football is the best place for in-depth analysis of 2018 safety prospects at all levels of college football. To view other positions, follow the links below.

(Last Updated: April 26, 2018)

2018:  | QB | WR | RB | FB | TE | OT | G | C | DT | DE | OLB | ILB | S | CB | K | P | LS | OVERALL |

Derwin James is a perfect safety for the modern NFL, as he can do a little bit of everything. James is an on-field coach who is athletic, hardworking, an incredible leader, and instinctive. James put up good numbers at the combine and has a great frame standing just above 6’2" and weighing 215 pounds. He can play either safety position, and is very comfortable playing at the line of scrimmage as an extra linebacker. His tackling form is really good, he is great in man coverage, and as a deep safety has incredible range. He needs some improvement in anticipation and reading the QB’s eyes, and he has some possible injury red flags.

2017 Stats

12 games played, 84 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 13 passes defended, 2 interceptions.

Justin Reid is a modern safety who can do it all. The Stanford product is smart on and off the field, and has an NFL pedigree as his brother is pro bowl safety Eric Reid. He has decent size, great athleticism, and a good football IQ. He plays as fast as anyone in the country, and has enough toughness to hold his own as a tackler. Where he really shines is in coverage. Although he sometimes gets grabby in man coverage, his ball skills and body control are top notch. He exploded onto the scene his final season and played as well as anyone with 5 interceptions and 94 tackles from a variety of DB positions.

2017 Stats

14 games played, 94 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 11 passes defended, 5 interceptions.

Terrell Edmunds has great size for a safety at 6’1" and 217 pounds. He is a former cornerback with quick feet and great overall athleticism and power. Edmunds is great for the strong safety position when asked to play closer to the line, but struggles when he has to roam deep or guard quality receivers. His size will help him cover tight ends which is a premium in the modern NFL, and his speed and pursuit can help guard running backs. He will need to improve his ability to read the offense and not bite on fakes.

2017 Stats

10 games played, 61 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 6 passes defended, 2 interceptions.

DeShon Elliott was a first year starter this past year, and he responded by becoming a unanimous All-American. He doesn’t play particularly quick but his numbers at the combine weren’t bad. He has good size for the position at 6’1" 210 pounds, and his ball skills are elite. Elliott reads defenses at a high level and is known as an on-field coach for his work ethic, play calling, and leadership. He is capable of making big hits and can play inside like a linebacker. He will struggle when isolated on shifty receivers, but his football IQ should help him win most match-ups.

2017 Stats

12 games played, 63 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 15 passes defended, 6 interceptions.

Jessie Bates burst onto the scene as a redshirt freshman, totaling 100 tackles and also picking off 5 passes. His production slipped a little this past season, but that was largely just because offenses avoided throwing in his direction. He is very instinctual and has a quick reaction time. Bates could play some slot corner as he mirrors receivers very well. He is a willing tackler who gives some big hits, but he’ll need to add more weight to do that in the NFL without injuring himself. At just 200 pounds, he is much lighter than the other top safety prospects which hurts his ability to play near the line.

2017 Stats

11 games played, 77 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 7 passes defended, 1 interception.

Complete draft rankings for 2018 – Safety

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2018:  | QB | WR | RB | FB | TE | OT | G | C | DT | DE | OLB | ILB | S | CB | K | P | LS | OVERALL |