This is the year to need a safety. There are a couple of blue-chip prospects within this class, and a ton of variety mixed with starting experience in the later rounds. There’s a real chance we see three safeties taken on Thursday night, which isn’t something we really ever see in the first round. It’s been a fun safety class to dive into and find the players who deserve to be on this list.

Without further ado, here’s my top 10 safeties in the 2026 NFL draft.

1. Caleb Downs, Ohio State

Downs won’t wow anybody with his size or speed, being 6 feet and 206 pounds (he didn’t run a 40), but that shouldn’t knock him at all. His superpower is his eyes and his overall IQ of the game. He has the versatility to be a true deep-half safety, but also play within the box. He burst onto the scene as a freshman, being a main contributor on a Nick Saban defense, which isn’t easy to do for any college player.

Some consider him the safest pick of the draft, and I’d agree. He’s a culture-changing pick, and no team can go wrong picking him on draft night.

2. Dillon Thieneman, Oregon

Thieneman is the same size as Downs, being 6 feet and 205 pounds, but Thieneman impressed with his testing numbers. He ran a 4.35 40 and jumped a 41-inch vertical at the NFL combine. On the on-field portion of the workout, Thieneman moved differently from everyone else, showcasing his natural movement in coverage.

He played a more free-safety-type role in his freshman season at Purdue and showed off his elite ball skills, recording 6 interceptions. He transferred to Oregon for 2025 and didn’t play as much in a true free safety role, but showed more versatility, lining up anywhere. He still had seven passes defended and two interceptions. He’s elite at playing the run as well, can just trigger downhill and use that speed to meet running backs in the open field.

3. AJ Haulcy, LSU

The versatility of Haulcy stood out to me quickly. He’s a bulkier build at 6 feet and 218 pounds, so going into the film, I expected him to be a good tackler and not scared to hit, which he is, but the ball skills are elite, and he has a knack for being around the ball every single play.

His interception against Florida, jumping a crossing route in the middle of the field, stood out to me while watching him. The natural ability to read the quarterback’s eyes and act on it quickly isn’t easy, but Haulcy makes it look easy. He ran a 4.52 40 at the combine, which was a good time for him. He had 88 tackles, four passes defended, and three interceptions this season for LSU.

4. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo

A ton of people have Warren as a first-round pick, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he falls. I still think he goes earlier than Haulcy, but I’m not as high on Warren as everybody else is. I see the size at 6-foot-3 and 201 pounds with an arm length of 32 1/8. Those are rare numbers for a safety, and he has the speed, running a 4.52 40 at the combine.

I’m just worried about consistency: while Warren isn’t scared to fill the run and make a hard hit on a back, he’s very inconsistent at properly filling the run. I felt like he took poor angles at times and didn’t fill the right gaps, allowing opposing running backs to find space to operate.

I didn’t love his coverage ability. When things are in front of him, it looks natural. He can trigger on any route, but if he’s asked to open up his hips and trail a deeper route, I didn’t feel he was elite in that regard. I still love his upside, and given the right system, he can shine in this league. I just think he needs a little more time to develop.

5. Treydan Stukes, Arizona

Stukes has been getting a ton of love over the past week, and his name has been rising up draft boards for good reason. He played in the slot for Arizona this past season, but I see him as a free safety at the NFL level. The versatility to play in the slot helps. He’s 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds and ran a blazing 4.33 40 at the combine, showing off his elite long speed. You can see that speed in his tape, mixed with his fluid hips and change of direction; he can cover ground quickly.

His interception against Arizona State is just jaw-dropping. The ability to go up and high point the ball is rare stuff, and the fact that he was even able to get himself in that position is a good sign. He fills the run with purpose and gives great effort, tackles too low at times, but can improve in that sense. He’s an older prospect and will be 25 in his rookie season of the NFL.

6. Keionte Scott, Miami

Scott played more as a nickel/overhang defender while at Miami this past season, but I view him as a strong safety at the NFL level. Contact doesn’t faze him at all, even with his smaller frame of 5-foot-11 and 193 pounds. He and Rueben Bain Jr. were a two-man wrecking crew in the run game for the Hurricanes this season – Scott knows how to set an edge and avoid blocks. Provides a lot as a blitzer and shows effort in pursuit.

When everything is in front of him, Scott is elite (Ohio State pick-six), but when it comes to playing zone and anticipating things behind him, he struggles. I do worry about his ability to play man coverage when asked to in the NFL, but he can easily carve out a role as an early-down defender with his elite run defense.

7. Kamari Ramsey, USC

Ramsey wore the green dot for the USC defense this past season, showing the type of leader and IQ he has in the back-end. He has the versatility to play in the slot, box, and in the back-half as a free safety. He played more of a free safety role in 2024 and looked great. He has elite footwork while in pass coverage and a fluid backpedal, but struggles to fully open up his hips. It all flashes while he can roam freely. USC asked him to be more of a slot defender for 2025, and he just didn’t look like the same player.

It’s a major reason why people are lower on him than they were going into the season, but if he finds the right scheme in the NFL, we may see the 2024 version of Ramsey, which would be a steal for any team that picks him.

8. Bud Clark, TCU

Clark is a turnover waiting to happen. He’s had 15 interceptions over the past four years of his college career and is just a ballhawk in the back end. His eyes orchestrated it all, allowing him to jump routes, especially down the seams. The confidence is there, and it’s clear when you’re watching him. He’s not as strong as a man-coverage defender and is just a tad late on a ton of plays. But he knows how to play the ball: a couple of good plays on his tape where he kept that hand on the back of the hip and used his other hand to swat at the ball.

When he’s asked to play more square and closer to the line of scrimmage, you can see the stifling and inability to fully match receivers. He can fill the run and will attack screens, but tackling is overall inconsistent. He isn’t the biggest hitter either.

9. Genesis Smith, Arizona

The coverage of Smith stands out. He played free safety for Arizona and thrived in that role. Elite eyes and hips allow him to roam around in the back-end freely and put himself in good positions to make plays on the ball. The big negative surrounding Smith is his tackling. It’s not the best, and at times doesn’t even seem like he’s giving effort while filling the run. He puts himself into good positions, but has to get lower and keep his chest up when tackling. It’ll be hard for NFL teams to put him on an NFL field due to his tackling. The coverage skills though are the reason why a team would take a chance; they’re elite.

10. Zakee Wheatley, Penn State

Wheatley is 6-foot-3 and 203 pounds and ran a 4.62 40 at his pro day. The frame allows him to be versatile, playing around the line of scrimmage or in the back end. He’s another downhill safety who thrives when he can hit somebody off a screen or in the run game. His backpedal is fluid, and you see the ranginess when he’s allowed to use his eyes to read the quarterback.

He gets a little handsy on routes when he’s asked to cover closer to the line of scrimmage. He missed 11 tackles this season and just has to improve on settling down before making a hit. Overall, Wheatley proved to be another versatile option for any secondary and can contribute in the run game early in his career while he improves on understanding routes at a higher level.

Players outside looking in

11. VJ Payne, Kansas State

There’s a ton of rangy safeties in this class, and Payne is another one. He’s 6-foot-3 and 206 pounds and ran a 4.4 40 at the NFL combine. He knows how to make plays at the line of scrimmage and how to cover receivers down the field. The size allows him to match up with bigger tight ends, and he knows how to get aggressive at the catch point.

Payne didn’t have the knack for always being around the ball or looking comfortable. He’s started the past three seasons for Kansas State, but I expected to see a more confident player on tape, and I just didn’t. Still, the mere fact that he has starting experience is a good reason for any team to take him in the later rounds.