As we transition to the 2025 NFL Draft cycle, who are the preliminary top 10 safety prospects in the upcoming class?
The NFL is due for an infusion of first-round talent at the safety position, and the 2025 group might just have the potential sought at the professional level.
Way-Too-Early Top 10 S Prospects in 2025 NFL Draft
If you count Cooper DeJean as a safety, then the first safety in the 2024 NFL Draft wasn’t selected until the 40th pick. If you view DeJean as a cornerback, you have to go down seven more spots to Tyler Nubin at the 47th overall pick.
Either way, the NFL has gone without a first-round safety for two straight cycles now since Kyle Hamilton, Daxton Hill, and Lewis Cine went in Round 1 of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Could that change in 2025? Let’s take a closer look at the preliminary safety list.
10) Jeffrey Bassa, Oregon
In a class dominated by playmakers in coverage, Jeffrey Bassa stands out as an especially appealing prospect for teams in need of a hybrid box safety and formidable support presence. At 6’2″, 230 pounds, Bassa has the size to blend the line between positions.
NFL teams will like Bassa’s versatility and tenacious zeal, but even more comforting is how quickly he acclimated at the college level. He was a two-way high school player who was an immediate defensive contributor as a true freshman in Oregon’s defense.
9) Billy Bowman, Oklahoma
The 2025 NFL Draft safety class is filled to the brim with playmakers, but few are more natural or prolific than Oklahoma’s Billy Bowman.
In high school, Bowman racked up 1,207 yards and 15 scores as a wide receiver in his senior year. Now, he’s making the same kinds of plays — but by stopping opposing quarterbacks from throwing the ball.
In 2023, Bowman accumulated 63 tackles, three TFLs, four pass breakups, and six interceptions. He returned those interceptions for 238 combined yards, with three going for touchdowns.
At 5’10”, 191 pounds, Bowman is a bit undersized — but he’s a turnover threat of the highest degree.
8) Sebastian Castro, Iowa
At a physically demanding position like safety, true “football players” are always in heavy demand. Few prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft class fit that definition more than Iowa’s Sebastian Castro.
Primarily a nickel defender, Castro should have plenty of fans next April.
At around 5’11”, 205 pounds, Castro is a hyper-dense defender with a ruthless trigger downhill. In 2023 alone, he recorded 67 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and a sack — and he also has sharp instincts and route recognition in coverage, as his three picks show.
7) Jonas Sanker, Virginia
Beyond the top few safety prospects, the 2025 NFL Draft safety class is wide open — and Virginia’s Jonas Sanker is a sleeper who could throw a wrench in the rankings later on. The 6’1″, 210-pound senior amassed 107 tackles, four TFLs, 11 PBUs, three FFs, and two FRs in 2023.
As his production shows across the board, Sanker is a defender who’s always engaged and a factor in both the run and pass phases.
While he has the size and fluidity to manage space in two-high coverage, Sanker has also shown he can play the slot on a situational basis.
6) Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina
South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori — who logged 71 tackles, two interceptions, and eight pass breakups in 2023 — might have the most raw athletic talent of any safety in the 2024 class. That’s saying something, given some of the names we have left to go over.
At 6’3″, 227 pounds, Emmanwori is documented as having a 42″ vertical, an 11’4″ broad jump, and near-4.4 speed. His head coach, Shane Beamer, is on the record saying Emmanwori has reached a max speed near 23 mph. His hyperactive twitch on film confirms his athleticism.
5) Andrew Mukuba, Texas
Andrew Mukuba was one of my higher-rated safety prospects heading into the 2023 season. At around 5’11”, 185 pounds, his all-encompassing versatility stood out. While he has room to refine his technique and apply physicality, his upside is nearly unmatched.
Coverage utility, in its purest form, comes from movement and transition freedom, and that’s where Mukuba has most safeties beat.
Whether he’s lined up at nickel, in two-high, or single-high, Mukuba has the explosiveness, agility, elastic motion, and speed to erase windows.
4) Xavier Nwankpa, Iowa
The Iowa Hawkeyes may have lost DeJean in the 2024 NFL Draft cycle, but there’s still plenty of talent worth watching in the team’s secondary. Castro is one of the top preliminary slot defenders, and Xavier Nwankpa is a rising star at the safety spot.
You rarely come across a complete three-level safety with a center fielder’s range, but the 6’2″, 210-pound Nwankpa might just fit that profile. His playmaking ability is an obvious plus, but he also has exciting role versatility and presence in the support phase.
3) Rod Moore, Michigan
There’s an unfortunate caveat with Rod Moore on this list. The Michigan standout tore his ACL in spring practices and could miss the 2024 season.
Moore has eligibility remaining, so he could ultimately return to school in 2025. But until it’s confirmed, we’ll keep him in the 2025 draft class and rank him according to his standing when healthy.
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Moore is one of the best “football players” in not just the safety class, but the defensive class as a whole. The 6’0″, 185-pound defender can play two-high or nickel and has extremely impressive football IQ, route recognition, corrective twitch, and closing burst.
2) Jeremiah Cooper, Iowa State
Though Bowman is one of the superlative playmakers in the 2025 class, he doesn’t have a patent on ball production. Iowa State’s Jeremiah Cooper is right there with him after a 2023 campaign that saw him register five interceptions and 10 pass deflections.
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At 6’0″, 185 pounds, Cooper flashes elite explosiveness and closing speed when he’s able to recognize and trigger on passes. He also brings very willing physicality as a support defender. His tackling form is a work in progress, but he’s a true natural in coverage.
1) Malaki Starks, Georgia
The 2025 NFL Draft safety class appears to be deep on the surface, but there’s one prospect who projects as the runaway top safety: Georgia’s Malaki Starks.
Starks carried a blue-chip grade on the preliminary board, good for a top overall spot.
At 6’1″, 205 pounds, Starks was a five-star recruit whose elite playmaking instincts have translated seamlessly to the college game.
Through two seasons, Starks has five INTs and 14 PBUs — and he’s also a versatile cover man, physical tackler, and strong support presence.
Honorable Mentions
- Keon Sabb, Alabama
- Hudson Clark, Arkansas
- Kamren Fabiculanan, Washington
- Malik Verdon, Iowa State
- Malik Dixon-Williams, UConn
- Xavier Watts, Notre Dame
- Kobe Savage, Oklahoma
- Jahdae Barron, Texas
- Sean Brown, NC State
- LaMiles Brooks, Georgia Tech
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Other 2025 NFL Draft Position Rankings
Check out our other way-too-early position rankings for the 2025 NFL Draft:
- Top 10 QBs in the 2025 NFL Draft
- Top 10 RBs in the 2025 NFL Draft
- Top 10 WRs in the 2025 NFL Draft
- Top 10 TEs in the 2025 NFL Draft
- Top 10 IOL in the 2025 NFL Draft
- Top 10 OTs in the 2025 NFL Draft
- Top 10 DTs in the 2025 NFL Draft
- Top 10 EDGEs in the 2025 NFL Draft
- Top 10 LBs in the 2025 NFL Draft
- Top 10 CBs in the 2025 NFL Draft