Complete 2025 NFL Draft S Rankings:
You are currently viewing our safety rankings for the 2025 NFL Draft. The safety position is increasing in value as more teams use a 3rd safety in their nickel packages, so how will that affect the draft position of these prospects?
Our top safety prospects are selected after thousands of hours carefully scouting the most talented defensive backs in college football. Even though only about 20 will get selected in the draft, a lot more are signed as free agents, and many more receive a training camp invite.
We’ll provide you with inside information to help you know which safeties will be stars, who will be a bust, and which sleepers will shock the world.
BNB Football is the best place for in-depth analysis of 2025 NFL draft safety prospects at all levels of college football. To view other positions, follow the links below.
(Last Updated: January 19, 2025)
1. Malaki Starks, Georgia
S | 6’1″ | 205 lbs | 3rd Year
Malaki Starks was one of the top high school recruits in the nation in 2022, and immediately became a vital part of Georgia’s powerhouse defense.
Starks is an elite all around athlete with the speed, acceleration, and body control to make any play you need from him. He aligns all over the field for Georgia, with quick hips to defend in the slot, good instincts when ranging deep, and the strength and tackling form to roam near the line of scrimmage.
The stats this year don’t jump off the page, but Starks played as well as ever. He’s the rare kind of blue chip prospect with the mix of athletic talent, mental game, and work ethic to be guaranteed at least an above average starter (assuming health).
Malaki Starks 2024 Stats
14 games: 77 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 4 passes defended, 1 interception
2. Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina
S | 6’3″ | 225 lbs | 3rd Year
Nick Emmanwori is a massive safety with incredible athletic ability who was an immediate contributor for South Carolina as a true freshman. Emmanwori has as much size as many modern NFL linebackers, standing 6’3″ 225 pounds with long arms. But he’s also fast, has quick enough feet to mirror in coverage, and knows how to use his length to break up passes.
Emmanwori spends most of his time as a box safety matching up with tight ends, but regularly splits out to the slot or drops back deep. He has long strides and a fast backpedal that help him defending the long ball. He’s also one of the hardest hitting safeties in the class, with a very low missed tackle rate.
Instincts are decent, and it’s really a matter of refining his game and finding a system that lets him spend a lot of time near the line of scrimmage. If he can do that, he’ll have a chance for an elite career.
Nick Emmanwori 2024 Stats
13 games: 88 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 6 passes defended, 4 interceptions
3. Kevin Winston Jr., Penn State
S | 6’2″ | 205 lbs | 3rd Year
Kevin Winston Jr. is one of many high caliber defensive back prospects whose season was cut short with an injury, suffering a torn ACL early in the year. He should be ready for training camp, but unfortunately missed a ton of development time.
In 2023 he was quietly one of the better safeties in the nation. With a prototypical NFL frame and impressive instincts, Winston emerged as an elite run stopper from the safety position and one of the most reliable tacklers in college football. He’s at his best driving downhill, but has quick enough hips, speed, and length to recover in coverage.
He’s only really played one season of meaningful football due to the injury, so he’s still a bit raw.
Kevin Winston Jr. 2024 Stats
3 games: 13 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 fumble forced
4. Xavier Watts, Notre Dame
S | 6’0″ | 205 lbs | 5th Year
Every year there are a couple of prospects who are obviously dominant football players. Fans know it, coaches know it, other players know it. And yet they’re drafted later than they should be because they have only average size and athleticism. Sure enough, they almost always outperform their draft position. That’ll be the story of Xavier Watts this year.
Watts won’t break the internet with his NFL Combine performance, but he has truly elite instincts and ball skills, paired with enough physical traits to translate it to the NFL. Watts has combined for 13 interceptions across the past two seasons, by far the most in college football throughout that period.
He’s also a willing contributor in the run game, showing a fast trigger and effectively identifying underneath plays. The only thing holding him back is some slightly tight hips and below-desired top end speed.
Xavier Watts 2024 Stats
14 games: 66 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 15 passes defended, 6 interceptions, 1 fumble forced
5. Billy Bowman, Oklahoma
S | 5’10” | 195 lbs | 4th Year
Billy Bowman is an instinctive ballhawking safety who has a knack for making big plays. Despite being undersized, he constantly plays with a chip on his shoulder.
Bowman has great instincts on the back end, reading the eyes of the quarterback. He’s got good body control and is able to high point the ball, going up with bigger receivers and making plays.
Bowman gets to the line of scrimmage fast, with an incredibly quick trigger and improved consistency against the run. He still struggles with missed tackles, and will need to do a better job wrapping up if he’s going to maintain a long career.
Billy Bowman 2024 Stats
10 games: 47 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 5 passes defended, 2 interceptions
Complete 2025 Safety Draft Rankings
| RANK | NAME | SCHOOL | AGE | HT | WT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malaki Starks | Georgia | 3rd | 6'1" | 205 |
| 2 | Nick Emmanwori | South Carolina | 3rd | 6'3" | 225 |
| 3 | Kevin Winston Jr. | Penn State | 3rd | 6'2" | 205 |
| 4 | Xavier Watts | Notre Dame | 5th | 6'0" | 205 |
| 5 | Billy Bowman | Oklahoma | 4th | 5'10" | 195 |
| 6 | Jonas Sanker | Virginia | 4th | 6'1" | 210 |
| 7 | Jaylen Reed | Penn State | 4th | 6'0" | 210 |
| 8 | Andrew Mukuba | Texas | 4th | 6'0" | 185 |
| 9 | Rod Moore | Michigan | 4th | 6'0" | 200 |
| 10 | Malachi Moore | Alabama | 5th | 6'0" | 195 |
| 11 | Lathan Ransom | Ohio State | 5th | 6'1" | 205 |
| 12 | Bud Clark | TCU | 5th | 6'2" | 190 |
| 13 | RJ Mickens | Clemson | 5th | 6'0" | 210 |
| 14 | Malik Verdon | Iowa State | 4th | 6'4" | 220 |
| 15 | Sebastian Castro | Iowa | 6th | 5'11" | 205 |
| 16 | Maxen Hook | Toledo | 5th | 6'0" | 205 |
| 17 | Shamari Simmons | Arizona State | 6th | 6'0" | 195 |
| 18 | Jordan Hancock | Ohio State | 4th | 6'1" | 195 |
| 19 | Hunter Wohler | Wisconsin | 4th | 6'2" | 215 |
| 20 | Major Burns | LSU | 5th | 6'2" | 190 |
| 21 | Makari Paige | Michigan | 5th | 6'4" | 205 |
| 22 | Donovan McMillon | Pittsburgh | 4th | 6'2" | 205 |
| 23 | Rayuan Lane III | Navy | 4th | 5'11" | 195 |
| 24 | Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig | Colorado | 4th | 5'10" | 185 |
| 25 | Jerrin Thompson | Auburn | 5th | 6'0" | 190 |
| 26 | Akili Arnold | USC | 6th | 5'11" | 200 |
| 27 | De'Rickey Wright | Vanderbilt | 5th | 6'4" | 215 |
| 28 | Tysheem Johnson | Oregon | 4th | 5'10" | 200 |
| 29 | CJ Baskerville | Texas Tech | 4th | 6'3" | 210 |
| 30 | Craig Woodson | California | 6th | 6'0" | 210 |
| 31 | Dante Trader Jr. | Maryland | 4th | 5'11" | 200 |
| 32 | John Saunders Jr. | Ole Miss | 5th | 6'2" | 200 |
| 33 | Kobe Savage | Oregon | 6th | 5'11" | 205 |
| 34 | Mishael Powell | Miami (FL) | 6th | 6'1" | 210 |
| 35 | Kenny Gallop Jr. | Howard | 5th | 6'0" | 215 |
| 36 | JJ Roberts | Marshall | 5th | 5'11" | 185 |
| 37 | Yam Banks | Ole Miss | 5th | 6'1" | 210 |
| 38 | Jack Howell | Colorado State | 4th | 5'10" | 200 |
| 39 | Shilo Sanders | Colorado | 6th | 6'0" | 195 |
| 40 | Dan Jackson | Georgia | 6th | 6'1" | 195 |
| 41 | Jordan Clark | Notre Dame | 6th | 5'10" | 185 |
| 42 | Abe Camara | TCU | 5th | 6'0" | 190 |
| 43 | DeShon Singleton | Nebraska | 4th | 6'3" | 210 |
| 44 | Trey Washington | Ole Miss | 4th | 5'10" | 205 |
| 45 | Tamarion McDonald | Louisville | 5th | 6'2" | 210 |
| 46 | Aubrey Burks | West Virginia | 4th | 5'11" | 205 |
| 47 | TaMuarion Wilson | Central Arkansas | 5th | 6'2" | 215 |
| 48 | Alijah Clark | Syracuse | 4th | 6'1" | 185 |
| 49 | CJ Taylor | Vanderbilt | 4th | 6'1" | 205 |
| 50 | Shaquan Loyal | Rutgers | 4th | 6'0" | 205 |
| 51 | Hudson Clark | Arkansas | 6th | 6'2" | 190 |
| 52 | Beau Freyler | Iowa State | 4th | 6'2" | 220 |
| 53 | Corey Ellington | Mississippi State | 4th | 6'3" | 200 |
| 54 | Quinn Schulte | Iowa | 6th | 6'1" | 210 |
| 55 | Derrick Canteen | Cincinnati | 6th | 5'11" | 190 |
| 56 | Kitan Crawford | Nevada | 5th | 5'11" | 200 |
| 57 | Zion Childress | Kentucky | 5th | 6'0" | 200 |
| 58 | Jaden Voisin | South Alabama | 6th | 5'10" | 210 |
| 59 | Desmond Igbinosun | Rutgers | 4th | 6'2" | 210 |
| 60 | Kamren Fabiculanan | Washington | 6th | 6'1" | 200 |
| 61 | Jack Henderson | Minnesota | 5th | 6'2" | 215 |
| 62 | LaMiles Brooks | Georgia Tech | 5th | 6'2" | 190 |
| 63 | Wande Owens | New Hampshire | 6th | 5'11" | 210 |
| 64 | Joseph Charleston | Missouri | 6th | 6'0" | 195 |
| 65 | Donovan Kaufman | NC State | 5th | 5'10" | 205 |
| 66 | Marcus Barnes | William & Mary | 6th | 6'3" | 190 |
| 67 | Alaka'i Gilman | Utah | 5th | 5'10" | 200 |
| 68 | Flip Dixon | Rutgers | 5th | 6'2" | 210 |
| 69 | Marcus Fuqua | Buffalo | 6th | 6'0" | 195 |
| 70 | Alexander Teubner | Boise State | 6th | 6'1" | 195 |
| 71 | Jalen Stroman | Virginia Tech | 4th | 6'1" | 200 |
| 72 | Bryan Addison | UCLA | 7th | 6'5" | 200 |
| 73 | Marques Sigle | Kansas State | 5th | 6'0" | 195 |
| 74 | Mike Smith Jr. | Eastern Kentucky | 5th | 6'1" | 205 |
| 75 | Bryson Shaw | USC | 6th | 6'0" | 190 |
| 76 | Tanner Volk | Central Washington | 4th | 6'1" | 190 |
| 77 | Asa Turner | Florida | 6th | 6'3" | 200 |
| 78 | Dean Clark | Fresno State | 6th | 6'1" | 205 |
| 79 | Brandon Johnson | Oregon | 4th | 5'10" | 185 |
| 80 | Gabe Taylor | Rice | 5th | 5'10" | 195 |
| 81 | Wyett Ekeler | Wyoming | 5th | 5'11" | 210 |
| 82 | Rod Heard II | Notre Dame | 6th | 5'11" | 190 |
| 83 | Antavious Lane | North Carolina | 6th | 5'9" | 190 |
| 84 | Angelo Grose | Michigan State | 5th | 5'10" | 185 |
| 85 | Antonio Carter II | Jacksonville State | 6th | 6'0" | 205 |
| 86 | Henry Blackburn | Colorado State | 5th | 6'0" | 205 |
| 87 | Ja'Had Carter | NC State | 5th | 6'1" | 205 |
| 88 | Isaac Gifford | Nebraska | 5th | 6'1" | 205 |
| 89 | Jaylen Stinson | Duke | 5th | 5'8" | 175 |
| 90 | RJ Moten | Florida | 5th | 6'0" | 220 |
| 91 | Glendon Miller | Maryland | 5th | 6'2" | 205 |
| 92 | Cameron Broussard | Washington | 5th | 6'3" | 195 |
| 93 | Jonathan McGill | SMU | 6th | 5'10" | 185 |
| 94 | Paul Lewis III | Akron | 6th | 6'2" | 210 |
| 95 | Kobe Hylton | Oklahoma State | 6th | 6'0" | 205 |
| 96 | Saiku White | Lafayette | 4th | 6'1" | 210 |
| 97 | Jakeen Harris | North Carolina | 6th | 5'11" | 190 |
| 98 | Kristian Story | Kentucky | 5th | 6'1" | 210 |
| 99 | Dylan Lawrence | Southern Mississippi | 6th | 6'4" | 215 |
| 100 | KJ Martin | NC State | 6th | 6'1" | 195 |
| 101 | Kory Chapman | UTEP | 5th | 5'10" | 180 |
| 102 | Shiloh Means | Penn | 5th | 5'11" | 200 |
| 103 | Coco Azema | Northwestern | 6th | 5'11" | 205 |
| 104 | Jordan Riley | Kansas State | 4th | 6'0" | 200 |
| 105 | Robert McDaniel | Jackson State | 6th | 6'2" | 205 |
| 106 | Josh Minkins | Cincinnati | 5th | 6'2" | 200 |
| 107 | Oshae Baker | UT-Martin | 5th | 5'10" | 200 |
| 108 | Reuben Lowery III | Chattanooga | 5th | 5'9" | 195 |
| 109 | Khalil Baker | Elon | 6th | 6'0" | 190 |
| 110 | Owen Goss | Arizona | 5th | 6'0" | 205 |
| 111 | Ty Trinh | Villanova | 5th | 6'0" | 210 |
| 112 | Quadric Bullard | UCF | 5th | 6'0" | 170 |
| 113 | Kenyatta Watson | Georgia State | 6th | 6'1" | 195 |
| 114 | Armani-Eli Adams | Western Michigan | 7th | 5'11" | 195 |
| 115 | Malik Chavis | UNLV | 6th | 6'3" | 195 |
| 116 | Virdel Edwards II | Hawaii | 5th | 6'2" | 215 |
| 117 | Jaise Oliver | TCU | 6th | 6'2" | 205 |
| 118 | Keyshawn Cobb | Nevada | 6th | 5'10" | 205 |
| 119 | Travis Jay | Colorado | 6th | 6'2" | 200 |
| 120 | Lovie Jenkins | Murray State | 5th | 6'1" | 195 |
| 121 | David Spaulding | South Carolina | 6th | 6'1" | 200 |
| 122 | Ja'Qurious Conley | Charlotte | 5th | 6'1" | 215 |
| 123 | Parker Rochford | Wartburg | 4th | 6'0" | 205 |
| 124 | Abraham Temoney III | Coastal Carolina | 6th | 6'4" | 200 |
| 125 | Will Pickren | Citadel | 5th | 6'2" | 175 |
MORE 2025 NFL DRAFT RANKINGS
Traits That Make a Safety Prospect Great
Safety play puts a little more emphasis on instincts and reaction time than physical traits, but an ideal safety prospect excels in both aspects. Play recognition, coverage technique, and overall versatility are among some of the most important factors to consider when scouting the top safety prospects in the draft.
Some of the factors we consider when scouting are included below.
Play Recognition
Safeties play a lot of different roles, but the traditional responsibility is making sure no one gets over the top of the defense. Recognizing deep routes in time to prevent the big play, while also recognizing play action and run plays to stay in position is vital. If a safety misreads a situation, you’re vulnerable for a massive play.
Coverage Technique
Safety prospects need the ability to cover in zone or in off-man coverage. They’ll need to match up with receivers or tight end, and need decent coverage technique to stay with their man. Having some ball skills to swat a ball away or jump around for an interception is also a major benefit.
Quickness
Quickness is vital to successful coverage, getting down to the line of scrimmage on screens or run plays, and reacting to ball carriers in the open field. Safeties that are stiff in the hips or have slow feet will often find themselves out of position and likely be low in our safety rankings.
Tackling
When you have a chance to make a tackle, you need to make the tackle. The top rated safety prospects will rarely miss open field tackles, have decent hit power, and display reasonably good technique in their tackling form.
Overall Opinion of the 2025 Safety Draft Class
This is an all around decent safety class. There’s a reasonable amount of talent at every stage of the draft, but it also doesn’t necessarily stand out as strong at any point.
Starks has at times been viewed as a blue chip prospect at the top, while the bulk of the class is comprised of well-rounded talents who can line up all over the field.
Regardless of the type of player you’re looking for, you can find it.
