Bell: Ranking Top 8 Safeties in the 2025 NFL Draft Class
We are now single-digit days away from the start of the 2025 NFL Draft and with that in mind, it’s time to rank the safety prospects in this class.
The running back and interior defensive line classes have dominated the conversation this cycle but this group deserves a love, too. Even though none of these players earned a true first-round grade in my eyes, six of them are currently in the top-100 on my big board which will be released next week. Day two on draft weekend should be viewed as the sweet spot and regardless of which archetype of defensive back you’re searching for, there’s a player to choose from.
Very quietly, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been doing plenty of homework at this position over the past several months. South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori has been a player that they’ve been closely connected with, whether at the NFL Combine, his pro day and having him in for a pre-draft visit. It will be fascinating to see the lengths that they will go to address this need given the fact that they aren’t flush with draft capital at the moment. That being said, it’s a fun group to get to know!
2025 NFL DRAFT SAFETY PROSPECTS
1) Kevin Winston Jr., Penn State
Tone-setter on the back end that plays with insane urgency when rolling down into the box and deconstructs blocks en route to the ball carrier. Winston has excellent burst, patrols the flats with intensity and he’s always under control as a tackler with a 97th-percentile wingspan give him a vast radius. An ACL injury cut short what would have likely been his breakout campaign but some team is going to nab a high-floor linchpin with room to grow.
2) Malaki Starks, Georgia
Versatile safety that was tasked with playing a bevy of different roles in the Georgia defense, which highlighted his smooth movement skills and ability to play both run/pass at a high level. If you want a clear picture of Starks jaw-dropping body control, just pop on his interception reel and while not nearly as splashy, he’s also a reliable tackler. The big flaw in his game is that too many splash plays have popped at his discretion but a simplified workload early on could do wonders for him.
3) Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina
Certified freak show with springs in his cleat, legitimate sideline-to-sideline speed and length that coaches dream of. It’s easy to imagine Emmanwori being a tight end eraser or potential solution for when opposing offenses rotate bigger bodies into the slot but he can also get smaller ball carriers to the ground in space as well. With that being said, he needs to play with much more urgency to be more of a constant force on a down to down basis.
4) Andrew Mukuba, Texas
Hyper-aware safety who excels in zone coverage because of plus spatial awareness and natural instincts for route combinations developing in real time. Mukuba plays with a ultra-quick trigger and is willing to run the alley at full speed, blasting into collisions as if he has no regard whatsoever for his long-term well-being. At 186 pounds, he’s a historical outlier in the weight department but his 2024 tape was unbelievably awesome and simply impossible to overlook.
5) Xavier Watts, Notre Dame
Opportunistic thief in the passing lanes, consistently seeking out opportunities to show off his sure-handedness. Even after starting his career as a wideout, Watts has the right temperament for the defensive side of the ball, showing a surprising appetitive for hitting whatever moves near the line of scrimmage. Even though he lacks explosiveness, the combination of speedy processing and intrinsic anticipation help alleviate those weaknesses to a degree.
6) Jonas Sanker, Virginia
Heat-seeking missile whose soul purpose on the football field is inflicted as much punishment on players as possible. Sanker is a well-built, athletic specimen who is always around the football as a result of his fanatical effort and is at his best in coverage when he gets eyes on the quarterback. He’s a little tight-hipped, which becomes problematic against certain archetypes in man coverage but even so, he projects as an immediate special teams star and quality box safety.
7) Billy Bowman, Oklahoma
Ball magnet with ideal coverage traits but must clean up the missed tackles in order to carve out a role in the league.
8) Lathan Ransom, Ohio State
Physical hitter that relishes any chance he gets to lay the boom with an aggressive play style also synonymous with recklessness.
