It’s officially November, which means the college football regular season is coming to an end. That means it’s a good time to check in on the top 10 safeties in the 2027 NFL Draft in this loaded group. It was a hard list to put together with all the depth this safety class offers, and it will probably change by April, but it’s a good checkpoint to start putting these lists out.

Here are my top 10 safeties in the 2027 NFL Draft as of November.

1. Kingston Lopa, S, California

There’s no guarantee Lopa comes out this season because he’s a redshirt sophomore, but if he does, man, he’ll get a lot of NFL love. He offers tremendous range, being 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds. With that frame, his production is outstanding. Lopa has five interceptions and 37 tackles this season as we sit here in early November.

Lopa offers the versatility to line up in the slot and in the deep half while also being used as a mid hook player in Cover 2. In zone coverage, Lopa has great eyes to locate receivers and keep his eyes on the quarterback. He can also fire downhill to make plays in the run game and isn’t scared to get physical.

The two things he could improve are overall strength when taking on blocks in the open field and consistency in the middle of the field.

2. Jaylen McClain, S, Ohio State

One player who may not wow in the statistical column is McClain, but he impresses in the all-22 angle. He is coming off his worst game of the season vs. USC, but it’ll be fun to see how he bounces back from that performance.

McClain was a third-team All-Big Ten player in 2025, and entered 2026 with some excitement about his play. He’s been everything you could’ve asked for, having the range to play free safety and the IQ to stay on top of everything. McClain understands concepts and does a great job playing against multiple looks throughout a game. He can fire down against the run and takes good pursuit angles from the deep parts of the field.

Looking at his game, he isn’t the most physical or biggest safety prospect you’ve ever seen. At 6 foot and 203 pounds, he moves well but can get washed out by tight ends or receivers in the run game.

3. KJ Bolden, S, Georgia

Coming into the season, Bolden was No. 1 on this list, but has dropped a bit during the season. Other players have just popped more than him and have been more consistent. Still, Bolden is a bulky 6-foot, 195-pound safety who’s a thumper. He’s a great tackler who can make his impact felt in the box and has the fluidity in the back half to stay on top of everything.

Bolden is coming off a second-team All-American in 2025 and is following it up with 28 tackles, 1 interception, and 3 passes defended. The biggest stat to look at is the five missed tackles he’s had this season. That’s already more than he had for the entirety of 2025.

This season, there have been flashes of excellence (pass breakups vs. Arkansas) and moments against Florida last week when he got downhill and made contact with Jadan Baugh. There should be excitement around Bolden even if he’s No. 3 on this list. The natural instincts are all there, and Bolden will thrive at the NFL level because of them.

4. Jelani McDonald, S, Texas

A playmaker. That’s what McDonald is. He has the best range in this class and truly makes plays all over the field. You could say that about a lot of safeties in this class, but McDonald stands out the most. He has great acceleration and movement skills to make plays in all facets of the game.

With those movement skills, he has the versatility to play in the deep half, the middle of the field, and the box. McDonald isn’t scared to make tackles or come downhill to fill lanes in the box. Watch the games against Florida and Ole Miss, and I’m sure you’ll see No. 4 all over the field.

5. Tae Johnson, S, Notre Dame

Johnson is the biggest return-to-school candidate on this list due to being out from a lower-leg injury since the first game of the season. It’s a tragedy, given how talented he is after a four-interception season in 2025. Even in the 24 snaps he played this season, Johnson found a way to make an impact, forcing a pass breakup against Wisconsin, where he tried to get in front of a split route underneath.

Johnson’s game is filled with speed and instincts. He’s such a talented player roaming in the middle of the field because you can see him digest what offenses are trying to do and adjust. The interception he had against Pitt last season was an example of all of that, with him jumping in front of a pass and taking it all the way back for a pick-six.

6. Ty Benefield, S, LSU

If you read some of my work before the season, Benefield was listed as one of “my guys” for the 2027 NFL Draft, and it hasn’t changed. He’s got great size at 6-foot-3 and 216 pounds to match up on tight ends or fill in the run game.

Watching his tape, he’s a rocket coming downhill. The acceleration mixed with fearlessness makes tackles stand out. The size shows up in the SEC against the bigger bodies that you see in that conference. The one limiting factor in his game is in pass coverage. Fluidity isn’t there as much, but when he’s in position, it looks good. Can do a better job of not being handsy in man coverage/zone reps.

7. Ty Bryant, S, Kentucky

Bryant is another talented SEC safety that is coming off an All-SEC Second Team season in 2025. SO far in 2026, he’s following it up with another strong season. He’s up to four interceptions, and 59 tackles, signaling how versatile he is. He offers a quick burst coming downhill to make plays in the run game and has the playmaking ability in the back end to jump routes.

Watching his interception against Vanderbilt, you see active eyes in zone coverage reading the quarterback’s eyes and getting into position to break it up. He’ll get lost in this talented safety class, but he has the skills and size to go on Day 2 with good testing numbers.

8. CJ Heard, S, Vanderbilt

Speed, speed, and speed. That’s what Heard is in the back end of this Vanderbilt defense. Watching him in SEC play has been tremendous. He had a WWE-style tackle against Ole Miss, just picking up the back and slamming him into the ground. That type of toughness is good to see out of a 5-foot-10 and 210-pound safety.

Vanderbilt uses him as the main blitz from the back end as well. Watching it is just great because it’s clear he has a better get-off and closing speed than anyone else. There was a fun rep where he took a wrong angle against Georgia, but had the recovery speed to get back into position. He has nice pursuit angles as well and just fires on routes to create pass breakups.

9. Qua Moss, S, Tennessee

Another player who just offers great versatility. Moss has reps in the nickel, box, and the deep middle of the field for Tennessee this season. His career path is intriguing: he started at Dodge City Community College, then went to West Georgia, Kansas State, and now Tennessee. This season, Moss has two pass breakups and 26 tackles.

Moss has sideline-to-sideline speed, having experience returning punts for the Volunteers. Tennessee used him as a quarterback spy against South Carolian’s LaNorris Sellers, showcasing the type of athlete he is in the open field. Overall, his movement skills can be better in the back half, and he should turn his head to look for the ball in pass coverage, but the athlete is fun to watch.

10. Earl Little Jr., S, Ohio State

Little is another ball of energy in the back end for Ohio State. He’s listed at 6 foot, but probably will come in around 5-foot-10 at the combine. He’s a lighter frame, but you wouldn’t be able to tell with how he comes downhill to make tackles. He stood out against Texas with 11 total tackles and wants to fill the run, which is key. A lot of defensive backs can come downhill to fill the run, but watching Little, it’s clear he wants to hit somebody.

Versatility again stands out in his game, playing free safety, the box, and the nickel. His footwork and hips are all so fluid while in coverage. Ohio State has also used him as a blitz, showing the downhill speed he has.