In the modern NFL, the safety position is becoming the ultimate chess piece. The versatility and all-around utility required to play the position effectively are daunting. But at the same time, prospects with the necessary abilities can be greatly rewarded. What does the 2024 NFL Draft safety class have to offer NFL teams?
Ranking the Safeties in the 2024 NFL Draft
It’s too early to provide any referendums on the 2023 NFL Draft safety class. There’s a chance the group could exceed expectations. However, evaluators were generally on the same wavelength in calling it a weaker class than normal.
Even the best players available, like Alabama’s Brian Branch, fit better into specific roles and were different from traditional prospects.
Versatility, like the kind that Branch offers, is valuable, but being able to play in two-high and single-high, or match up against big slot WRs and move TEs with size, is just as much of an asset.
Luckily, there appears to be a good amount of variety and multiplicity in the 2024 NFL Draft safety group.
10) Kamren Kinchens, Miami (FL)
As many ball hawks as there are on our top safeties list for the 2024 NFL Draft, none are more prolific than Miami’s Kamren Kinchens.
In 2022, Kinchens put up six interceptions at the back end of the Hurricanes’ secondary. In 2023, he added five more while logging 59 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss.
Kinchens is a high-level center-fielder — a rarity at the safety position. And he brings more to the table as well. At 5’11” and 203 pounds, his frame serves him well as a tackler when roaming into the box.
All this being said, there are lapses on Kinchens’ tape, both with zone awareness and angles in run support. But his highs are some of the highest in this year’s safety class, and his range in deep coverage is legitimate, in spite of his 40-yard dash.
9) Calen Bullock, USC
A former WR, Calen Bullock stands at 6’2″ and 188 pounds with elite ball skills. Beyond that, his build and athletic profile translate extremely well at safety. He’s an explosive, high-energy athlete with elite deep speed and range who dramatically erases space while tracking throws.
Run support is where Bullock stands to improve. He needs to add more mass to his frame, he at times struggles with angles, and he needs to become a consistent tackler. Nevertheless, Bullock’s playmaking upside in the coverage phase will surely win over defensive coaches.
8) Jaden Hicks, Washington State
If your team needs an attacking box safety, there aren’t many options better in the 2024 NFL Draft than Jaden Hicks. Over the past two seasons at Washington State, Hicks — a 6’2″, 211-pound defender — amassed 155 tackles, eight TFLs, 3.5 sacks, three picks, and 10 pass breakups.
He’s not the most fluid space manager at the intermediate and deep levels, but Hicks shines when he’s able to crash downhill and attack runners. He explodes across pursuit paths and can cut off paths upfield, and his range in support allows him to blow up plays.
7) Javon Bullard, Georgia
Versatility is a common theme across this entire list. But it’s one thing to be able to play in the slot when needed, it’s another to be a stellar slot cornerback who adds field safety capabilities. Georgia’s Javon Bullard falls in the latter category.
Bullard is a ravenous competitor, both in tight coverage and support. His biting physicality is a central part of his game, but his coverage chops on tape are just as strong. Though he’s a bit light, Bullard is fast, fleet-footed, fluid, and savvy with his technique.
6) Beau Brade, Maryland
The Maryland Terrapins produced a first-round DB in Deonte Banks last cycle and another draft pick in Jakorian Bennett. Before that, they sent Nick Cross to the Indianapolis Colts via the third round in the cycle.
At this point, Maryland has been established as a producer of NFL talent in the secondary, and Beau Brade is the next early-round prospect to watch.
The 2022 season was Brade’s first as a full-time starter, and he passed the audition with flying colors. The 6’0″, 203-pound safety racked up 85 tackles, four tackles for loss, two interceptions, five pass breakups, and two forced fumbles.
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In 2023, Brade returned with 72 tackles, four more TFLs, a pick, six pass breakups, and another forced fumble. His performance down the stretch earned him an invite to the Senior Bowl, which he accepted.
Not only is Brade productive, physical, and versatile, but his brand of mobility — explosive, twitched-up, high-energy, free-flowing — is also extremely translatable. He has the tools to be a multi-faceted NFL starter with particularly high value in the support phase.
5) Malik Mustapha, Wake Forest
It doesn’t always get the most coverage, but playing in support and enforcing is one of the most important roles for a safety to play at the NFL level. That’s a role that Wake Forest’s Malik Mustapha plays very well and is one reason why he was on the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl roster.
At 5’10” and 207 pounds, Mustapha has a strong and compact frame and explodes downhill when triggering on plays. He’s a tackling machine with his closing speed and play strength, but he’s also shown the ability to pedal and manage space as a zone coverage defender.
4) Cole Bishop, Utah
Utah’s football program is consistently one of the most well-coached in the nation, and that naturally translates to year-by-year NFL Draft success. In the 2024 cycle, the Utes have one of their best defensive prospects in recent memory, ascending safety Cole Bishop.
Bishop has been a stalwart defender ever since he stepped on campus. In 2022, he registered 83 tackles, six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, an interception, and three pass deflections. In 2023, he added 6.5 more TFLs, two additional picks, and four more PBUs.
At 6’2″ and 206 pounds, Bishop’s profile is impressively complete. He’s a fluid, explosive, and disciplined coverage defender over the top who can also cut off running angles, deconstruct blocks, and impose his will in support.
3) Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Texas Tech
Fresh off the heels of a spectacular Shrine Bowl performance and a strong NFL Combine showing, Dadrion Taylor-Demerson is one of the fastest-rising prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. His offseason has turned everyone back to the tape, and it’s becoming clear that he’s a diamond in the rough.
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At 5’10”, 197 pounds, with 4.41 speed and a 38″ vertical, Taylor-Demerson has searing speed and burst. On tape, he uses those traits in tandem with his smooth pedal, keen eye discipline, crisp transitioning ability, and combative physicality to wreak havoc on passing concepts at multiple levels.
2) Tyler Nubin, Minnesota
This year, Tyler Nubin broke Minnesota’s all-time school record for interceptions in a career. He logged five in a campaign that earned him first-team All-Big Ten honors. Generating turnovers is just one of the many things of NFL quality that he displays on tape.
At 6’2″ and 205 pounds, Nubin has the size and length. He’s an explosive and physical competitor in both phases of the game, but the most impressive part of Nubin’s profile is his intelligence.
His angle awareness and instincts are superlative, and he has the vision to be right at home in the fast-paced NFL.
The only major knock on Nubin’s profile is that he lacks elite long speed and range. But both physically and mentally, he has the traits to be a high-quality starter at the professional level.
Who Is the Best Safety in the 2024 NFL Draft?
As it turns out, the best safety prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft isn’t a safety at all. But assuming Iowa’s Cooper DeJean makes a move to safety at the NFL level, he has the tools to be one of the most versatile, dynamic playmakers in the league.
1) Cooper DeJean, Iowa
DeJean first put himself on the Round 1 radar with his exceptional 2022 campaign. That year, he totaled 75 tackles, three tackles for loss, five interceptions — including three pick-sixes — and eight pass breakups.
DeJean’s 2023 campaign wasn’t as productive on the surface, but the high-level tools and traits at 6’0″and 209 pounds were still very clear. And now, as he nears the 2024 NFL Draft, he’s gaining traction across the board as the top safety prospect.
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At Iowa, DeJean primarily played cornerback, but all of his strengths — playing with his eyes to the ball and making plays, gliding in space with his athleticism and range, and enforcing in support — translate better in a role where he’s able to play the field, not the man.
Though DeJean’s experience at cornerback will grant him all-encompassing versatility on the back end, he can be a two-phase force with his ability to recognize plays, close gaps, and convert when given the opportunity.
Honorable Mentions
- Jaylin Simpson, Auburn
- Thomas Harper, Notre Dame
- Kitan Oladapo, Oregon State
- Tykee Smith, Georgia
- Jaylon Carlies, Missouri
- Evan Williams, Oregon
- Josh Proctor, Ohio State
- Sione Vaki, Utah
- Kenny Logan Jr., Kansas
- Demani Richardson, Texas A&M
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