Ranking the Top 20 Safeties in the 2026 NFL Draft

Editor's note: The U-T's Eddie Brown is breaking down prospects, position by position, leading up to the NFL Draft (April 23-25). Here are his top 10 safeties, plus players he believes will be drafted or signed as a priority free agent:

1. Caleb Downs (Jr., Ohio State, 6-foot-0, 206 pounds)

Downs was the top-ranked safety in the 2023 class and considered a consensus top-10 recruit nationally. He's a glue-piece safety who raises a defense's floor immediately. The Alabama transfer was the heart and soul of a Buckeyes defense that led the nation in points (9.3) and yards allowed (219.1) per game, and he finished ninth in the Heisman voting. Downs didn't test at the combine, but he plays fast, thinks faster, and hits like he's trying to invoice the ballcarrier. A two-time unanimous All-American, 2025 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Jim Thorpe Award winner and Lott IMPACT Trophy winner, he pairs elite instincts with range, route feel and the ability to clean up everybody else's mistakes. Safeties of his ilk historically get drafted outside of the top 10: Ed Reed (No. 24), Troy Polamalu (No. 16), Earl Thomas (No. 14), Derwin James (No. 17), Minkah Fitzpatrick (No. 11) and Kyle Hamilton (No. 14). Both Downs’ father (Gary) and brother (Josh) were drafted in the third round of their respective drafts. Projected: Top 15

2. Dillon Thieneman (Jr., Oregon, 6-0, 201)

Thieneman earned major All-American and All-Big Ten recognition at both Purdue and Oregon, and backed it up with a 4.35 40 at the combine (9.71 Relative Athletic Score). The former three-star recruit has the production, movement skills and temperament to hear his name early. He doesn't have to live in one role, which is exactly why teams will love him. Thieneman can get overaggressive driving downhill, and he’s not the biggest thumper in a class that has some heavier box bodies. But he’s a dynamic, playmaking split-safety starter who can roll down and survive in nickel packages. He was built for the modern NFL. Projected: Round 1

3. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (Sr., Toledo, 6-3, 201)

McNeil-Warren is one of the most intriguing safeties in the class because he brings size, violence and real playmaking instead of empty measurables. He stayed at Toledo despite transfer interest and turned himself into one of the class's biggest small-school risers. The All-American and Thorpe semifinalist finished 2025 with 77 tackles, three forced fumbles, two interceptions and a pick-six, and his testing (9.01 RAS) was good enough to support the tape. McNeil-Warren’s coverage transitions can look a little tight, and his tackling urgency occasionally outruns balance, but big-framed safeties who can hit, cover and take the ball away don't last long. He produced five interceptions and nine forced fumbles in four years with the Rockets. Projected: Rounds 1-2

4. Bud Clark (Sr., TCU, 6-1, 188)

Clark is a former four-star recruit who became a four-year starter, three-time All-Big 12 honoree and two-time team captain for the Horned Frogs. He’s a natural ball-hawk with real range and verified athleticism (8.89 RAS). There’s a long trail of quarterbacks who learned the hard way testing Clark. The sixth-year senior produced 15 interceptions in his last four seasons, including two returned for scores. The lean frame and durability questions are part of the deal, but the takeaway production is hard to shrug off. Projected: Rounds 3-4

5. Treydan Stukes (Sr., Arizona, 6-1, 190)

The former walk-on returned from an ACL tear to earn third-team All-American and first-team All-Big 12 honors, then ripped off a 4.33 40 with a 9.95 RAS at the combine. Stukes is a rangy, explosive, turnover-producing three-time team captain (under two different staffs). He was the leader of a secondary that finished No. 1 nationally in team pass efficiency defense (97.20) and No. 2 in interceptions (22). Scouts believe he has the ability to survive at safety, nickel or in matchup-heavy sub packages. He's an older prospect, and at 190 pounds, teams will test him in the run game and in matchups versus bigger tight ends. If he's going to live as a true box safety, he'll need to keep proving he can finish through contact. Stukes turns 25 in September. Projected: Rounds 3-4

6. A.J. Haulcy (Sr., LSU, 6-0, 215)

Across his final two collegiate seasons at Houston and LSU, Haulcy totaled 162 tackles, eight interceptions and 12 pass breakups, earning first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2024 and All-SEC recognition in 2025. He’s the kind of defender who makes your defense tougher and your quarterbacks in practice more careful. Haulcy plays like somebody insulted his family before kickoff. He can play deep enough to survive rotations, but his money will be made closer to the action. His average long speed limits true centerfield usage, and he can be a little too eager attacking downhill, but his instincts and ball production are better than many "enforcer" types. Projected: Rounds 2-3

7. Jalon Kilgore (Jr., South Carolina, 6-1, 210)

Kilgore finished last season with 54 tackles, 10 pass breakups and two interceptions, earned second-team All-SEC honors, and left school with 178 tackles and eight career picks after working primarily at nickel but also showing safety flexibility. The former four-star recruit and team captain features good size, 4.40 speed (9.60 RAS), legit ball production and the versatility to move between nickel and safety, which matters more than ever on Sundays. He can get a little greedy attacking the football, and still needs a more consistency finishing in space, but the tools and tape say starter upside. Kilgore’s cousin (Andrew Thomas) is an All-Pro left tackle for the New York Giants. Projected: Rounds 2-3

8. Genesis Smith (Jr., Arizona, 6-2, 205)

Smith’s film showed genuine ball skills even with a few missed takeaway chances. When he's playing fast and decisive, he looks like a "robber" who erases crossers and punishes QBs for late throws. The 42.5-inch vertical and 10-foot-8 broad jump underline the explosiveness (9.76 RAS), but the former three-star recruit’s tackling and run-support are lacking. He still leaves some plays on the field, which is why he sits here instead of higher. Projected: Rounds 3-4

9. VJ Payne (Sr., Kansas St., 6-3, 206)

Payne is a former three-star recruit who became a three-year starter for the Wildcats, earning All-Big 12 honorable mention the last two seasons while serving as a team captain. His official 4.40 40 helps the sales pitch (9.74 RAS). He's not a highlight machine, but his length and frame create matchup value. Payne features elite size and athleticism, but he’s also the kind of defender coaches trust because he generally gets people lined up and shows up where he's supposed to. Projected: Rounds 3-5

10. Kamari Ramsey (Sr., USC, 6-0, 202)

Ramsey was the 12th-ranked safety in the 2022 class. He spent two years at UCLA before following defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn across town to USC. He's physical, experienced, productive and capable of handling box work, split-field duties and some matchup assignments. There may not be one elite calling card, but there are very few empty snaps on his tape. Ramsey’s post-combine buzz cooled after a merely solid athletic showing (8.48 RAS). Durability could also be a concern, considering he has missed multiple games in each of the past three seasons. Projected: Rounds 3-4

11. Jakobe Thomas (Sr., Miami, 6-1, 214)

After stops at Middle Tennessee and Tennessee, Thomas broke through with the Hurricanes, earning second-team All-ACC with five interceptions, 3½ sacks and two forced fumbles last season. The coverage range is not clean enough for a full-time deep role, but he’s a dynamic blitzer with good size and downhill temperament. He's more likely a depth safety and core special teamer than an immediate starter, but there’s a lot to like here. Projected: Rounds 4-7

12. Zakee Wheatley (Sr., Penn St., 6-3, 202)

Wheatley is a former three-star recruit who became a two-year starter for the Nittany Lions. He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors in 2025 and tested as a solid athlete in Indy. You can see why coaches would want a crack at molding him. Wheatley isn’t a sudden-twitch mover and the tackling can get messy, but the size, awareness and ability to play deep, in the slot or around the box should keep him in the Day 2 conversation. Projected: Rounds 3-4

13. Michael Taaffe (Sr., Texas, 6-0, 190)

xxx. Projected: Rounds 4-6

14. Robert Spears-Jennings (Sr., Oklahoma, 6-2, 205)

xxx. Projected: Rounds 5-6

15. Dalton Johnson (Sr., Arizona, 5-11, 192)

xxx. Projected: Rounds 6-7

16. Louis Moore (Sr., Indiana, 5-11, 190)

xxx. Projected: Rounds 5-7

17. Jalen Huskey (Sr., Maryland, 6-1, 192)

xxx. Projected: Rounds 6-7

18. Bishop Fitzgerald (Sr., USC, 5-11, 201)

xxx. Projected: Rounds 6-7

19. Cole Wisniewski (Sr., Texas Tech, 6-3, 219)

xxx. Projected: Round 7-PFA

20. Miles Scott (Sr., Illinois, 6-0, 203)

xxx. Projected: Round 7-PFA

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