Ranking The Best Safety Prospects in 2026 NFL Draft

by Zak Drapeau

Sportz Nation - 4/14/2026

Photo by Ryan Kang/ Getty Images

1. Caleb Downs

6'0" - 206 lbs.

Ohio State

Big Board Rank: 1

Pro Comparison: Ed Reed

Look, there are a few cant miss prospects in draft every year and I am more than comfortable saying Caleb Downs is the ONLY prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft that has zero chance in not becoming a Pro Bowler in this year's class.

An extremely intelligent and fearless Safety, Downs is brilliant in coverage in a generational way when it comes to the box which gives him great versatility as a Nickel and elite in stopping runs at the line of scrimmage. The only knock on him is that he isn't 6'4" and 215 like Kyle Hamilton. Downs is talked about around #7-#12 in Mock Drafts but I'd have no quorum about taking him Top-5 if I was an NFL GM.

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2. Dillon Thieneman

6'0" - 201 lbs

Oregon

Big Board Rank: 26

Pro Comparison: Jevon Holland

Thieneman is another box Safety who's athleticism even rivals Downs'. His ability to chase ball carriers from one sideline to the other is so impressive and his tackling is remarkable for someone of his frame. He's not polished yet in zone coverage exc ept for a Deep Zone Cover 3 type. He will instantly be a starter in the NFL and should only improve if given the time to work on his coverage skills.

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3. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren

6'4" - 201 lbs

Toledo

Big Board Rank: 55

Pro Comparison: Kamren Curl

McNeil-Warren is the dark horse of this group based on him having a very high run defending potential. A very tall and rangy Safety, E-man isn't quite the elite athlete that would have solidified him to me as an elite run defender but he very much has the physicality and tackling to become a good box Safety at the next level. His covering skills will need to improve as well but that really isn't what teams are drafting him for.

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4. Kamari Ramsey

6'0" - 202 lbs

USC

Big Board Rank: 56

Pro Comparison: Dax Hill

Ramsey is a liability in the run game from his tackling to his aggressive angles but is very solid in coverage. I believe his best role may be as a zone corner in the league because of his liabilities. His knowledge in route combinations matched with his backpedal and deep zone ability give me this inclination but his size has kept him as a Safety where he did do very well at USC but just doesn't seem to transition well to the next level.

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5. A.J. Haulcy

6'0" - 215 lbs

LSU

Big Board Rank: 60

Pro Comparison: Upside of Kevin Byard

A big and thick Free Safety prospect that actually possesses better zone coverage than run defense, Haulcy had 8 interceptions over the past two seasons at Houston and LSU. Another prospect with average speed and tackling, Haulcy is just below the last 2 prospects because I don't believe he has the athleticism to make up for some of his short comings but I do think he has the instincts and ball skills to be a Free Safety in the league if only an average one.

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6. Genesis Smith

6'2" - 202 lbs

Arizona

Big Board Rank: 88

Pro Comparison: Juan Thornhill

At the top of what I would call Tier 3 of the Safety class, Genesis Smith is may be the worst run defender on this list so far. His coverage skills are very good in zone coverage but one of his best skills in college was his versatility at Safety, Corner or Nickel but won't be able to make that adjustment in the league unless he really improves his tackling and his willingness to make those tackles.

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7. Treydan Stukes

6'1" - 190

Arizona

Big Board Rank: 106

Pro Comparison:

Listed as a CB/Safety hybrid,

Ball hawk, versatile and with good top-end speed, Stukes is a very good prospect but one that doesn't have the lateral quickness to be a boundary corner at the next level. With some injury concerns from his 2024 Torn ACL, Stukes may fall back to his zone coverage routes once he enters the NFL and who could blame him, being very talented in its' own right.

A very good athlete with great zone coverage and some versatility, but with injury concerns and some hesitance when it comes to the run game, Stukes has some good potential as a Free Safety but in my opinion not much more.

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8. Zakee Wheatley

6'3" - 203 lbs

Penn State

Big Board Rank: 107

Pro Comparison:

Wheatley is my favorite, later-pick Safety in this class because of his massive potential. Competent in both coverage and against the run, he is VERY far from a completed product but has shown traits that should give scouts a lot of reason to draft him just to be patient.

Wheatley needs to improve from the snap, too often getting frozen from play action or inconsistent presses. His ball skills and willingness to tackle are really great signs as are his versatility to line up at all 5 Secondary spots but as a prospect that lacks instincts and just shows raw athleticism, it's 50/50 on if he ever hits his top-end potential.

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9. Michael Taafe

6'0" - 189 lbs

Texas

Big Board Rank: 110

Pro Comparison:

Taafe was a solid ball hawking Free Safety in College Football and he has the chance to do the same at the next level. However, he will have to be in the right system and not be asked to do much more than play Center Fielder.

At less than 190 pounds and without a remarkable tackling technique, Taafe won't be much help when it comes to the run game. He also isn't a polished man cover artist and often gets faked out or fails to recognize anything more than simple route trees.

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10. Jalon Kilgore

6'1" - 210 lbs

South Carolina

Big Board Rank: 137

Pro Comparison:

Similarly to Stukes, a lot of pundits have Kilgore classified as a Cornerback but he's Safety all the way to me. A long and muscular frame, Kilgore's heights are in zone coverage and run defense.

He lacks recovery speed and long-term man coverage which severely hurts his stock as a corner to me. If he would have just announced and started his progression as a Safety earlier, Kilgore could've easily cracked my Top-100 and maybe even Top-75.

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Make sure to stay tuned as we continue coverage of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Zak Drapeau's Final Big Board Dropping April 21st.

Zak Drapeau's Final Mock Draft Dropping April 22nd.

-Z.D.