Today I wanted to look at the safeties, and the graph below uses their 2021 PFF Grade and their current rank on PFF’s Big Board that updates through the draft process:
Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton tops the ranks and is currently #2 on PFF’s board. He has great size and was versatile positionally the last three seasons with time in slot, box, and primarily deep alignments. He had a 75+ overall grade, 80+ coverage grade, and high 60 run defense grade, an above average 10.7% forced incompletion rate, with a great 6.5% missed tackle rate and a 42.3 passer rating allowed! Georgia safety Lewis Cine has average size and primarily played deep with experience in the box and 100+ slot snaps in 2021. He had 80+ overall, coverage, and run defense grades along with a good 9.3% missed tackle rate, above average 11.7% forced incompletion rate, and 81 passer rating allowed and was top 15 in forced incompletions and coverage stops.
The third player on the graph and final player in the current top 50 is Penn State safety Jaquan Brisker, who has average size and played at least 50 snaps in slot, box, and deep alignments each of the last three seasons, primarily a box defender in 2021. He had an 80+ overall grade, high 80 coverage grade, 65+ run defense grade along with an above average 13.5% missed tackle rate with a great 28.6% forced incompletion rate and 46.8 passer rating allowed!
Continuing on the top right of the graph we see Illinois safety Kerby Joseph, who has good size/length and while he played the last three seasons, gained most of his experience in 2021 with 100+ snaps from the box and deep alignments. He had the only 90+ overall grade on the graph as well as a 90+ coverage grade, a mid 70 run defense grade, a good 9.5% missed tackle rate, 66.4 passer rating allowed, and strong 21.1% forced incompletion rate along with five interceptions! Joseph played for the National team in the Senior Bowl and enjoyed his performance, noting a solid tackle but also being dragged for extra yards on another.
Maryland safety Nick Cross has good size and played deep primarily the last three seasons along with 250+ snaps from the box in 2021. He had a low grade compared to the previously mentioned players at 65+ overall, a mid 70 run defense grade, but high 50 coverage grade along with a 14.3% forced incompletion rate, below average 16.1% missed tackle rate and low 103 passer rating allowed.
Just outside the current top 100 we see Cincinnati safety Bryan Cook, who has good size and gained most of his experience in 2021 and played 175+ slot, box, and deep snaps. He had 85+ overall and coverage grades, 80+ run defense grade, a strong 7% missed tackle rate and 19.4% forced incompletion rate along with a 50.2 passer rating allowed!
Texas A&M safety Demani Richardson was the final player to land above the mean in the ranks. He has good size and played slot, box, and deep alignments at a high rate the last three seasons, with the latter being his primary spot in 2021. He had 70+ overall and run defense grades, a 65+ coverage grade, a good 10.7% missed tackle rate but poor 4.5% forced incompletion rate and 105.5 passer rating allowed.
The remaining players are currently PFF’s later round/undrafted possibilities, and I will discuss some. Michigan safety Brad Hawkins has average size and played box and deep primarily the last three seasons with experience in the slot as well. He had an 80+ overall, coverage, and run defense grade along with a strong 20% forced incompletion rate, above average 10.3% missed tackle rate and 61.8 passer rating allowed. Auburn safety Smoke Monday has good size and played 175+ slot, box, and deep alignments the last two seasons. He had 75+ overall, coverage, and run defense grades, lower 13.3% missed tackle and 9.4% forced incompletion rates and a 100.4 passer rating allowed.
Louisiana safety Percy Butler could stand to add weight to his frame and played 100+ snaps each of the last three seasons at slot, box, and primarily deep alignments. He had a high 70 overall grade, 80+ coverage grade, but mid 60 run defense grade, with a strong 18.2% forced incompletion rate and 58 passer rating allowed, but poor 20.3% missed tackle rate. He started for the East team in the Shrine Bowl and enjoyed strong coverage highlighted by a play in the end zone.
Texas A&M safety Leon O’Neal Jr. has good size and played primarily in the box and deep and had 50+ slot snaps each of the last three seasons. He had a 70+ overall grade, 80+ coverage grade, but high 50 run defense grade, a great 21.7% forced incompletion rate and 47.9 passer rating allowed but lower 17.7% missed tackle rate. He started for the American team in the Senior Bowl and showed ability as a tackler in the run game, highlighted by shooting down from deep alignment quickly for a run stop, but also dipping his head on a missed tackle attempt.
Miami (OH) safety Sterling Weatherford has great size and primarily played box and deep with experience in the slot and 50+ snaps on the defensive line in 2019 and 2021. He had a mid 60 overall grade, 70+ run defense grade, but 55+ coverage grade, below average 15.8% missed tackle and 6.7% forced incompletion rates along with an 89.3 passer rating allowed. Weatherford played for the National team in the Senior Bowl and enjoyed him shooting a gap for a run stop but had a missed tackle as well.
Oregon safety Verone McKinley III has below average size in this class and played 100+ slot, box, and deep alignments the last three seasons, with the latter being his primary spot in 2021. He had 60+ overall, coverage, and run defense grades, a low 18.5% missed tackle rate, above average 13.3% forced incompletion rate and 65.3 passer rating allowed, including six interceptions!
Kentucky safety Yusuf Corker has below average height in comparison to the class and played primarily box and deep alignments along with 100+ slot snaps in the last two. He had 65+ overall and coverage grades, 70+ run defense grade, a good 15% forced incompletion rate, 12% missed tackle rate and 72.9 passer rating allowed. Corker played for the American team in the Senior Bowl and largely struggled. He had a couple good run tackles with one on the goal line but a couple missed tackles and beat in coverage off play action for a touchdown!
Baylor safety JT Woods needs to add weight but has good height and played 100+ slot, box, and deep snaps in each of the last three seasons. He had a 65+ overall grade, 75+ coverage grade, but terrible 45+ run defense grade, 17.9% missed tackle rate, above average 12.1% forced incompletion rate and 51.8 passer rating allowed and six interceptions! He played for the National team in the Senior Bowl and noted a good special teams tackle but had a holding penalty.
A couple names that did not appear on the board that I like are Georgia Tech’s Juanyeh Thomas and Russ Yeast from Kansas State. They both started for the East team in the Shrine Bowl and had strong performances. Thomas had a handful of positive plays, strong tackling, and especially enjoyed him stepping up situationally providing a third and fourth down stop! Yeast was also a playmaker, providing a forced fumble and a couple strong tackles, but noted a negative play in coverage.
With uncertainty of who will return at the position from the Steelers 2021 roster, it will be interesting to see who is retained and if Pittsburgh ultimately selects a defensive back for the 2022 roster or perhaps goes the free agent route. If they draft one, I personally hope it’s more in the cornerback mold with the quality and depth at safety lacking overall and more pressing needs at other positions.
While the ranks on PFF’s board with certainly change, and surely some names missing from this list, I especially hope you enjoyed the grade data and some notes from the all-star games. Later in the process as the Steelers Depot draft team continues to compile more draft profiles, I plan and look forward to providing visuals with their Depot draft grade and projection.
What are your thoughts on this year’s safety class? Thanks for reading and let me know your thoughts in the comments!
