NFL Draft

First Take - Top Safeties for the 2021 NFL Draft

There wasn't a single safety selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft but several worthy candidates are lining up for a chance to crack the top 32 in 2021.

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First Take - Top Safeties for the 2021 NFL Draft
First Take - Top Safeties for the 2021 NFL Draft /

With the report cards for the 2020 NFL draft completed, NFLDraftScout is turning its attention to the class of 2021, offering a quick “First Take” with rankings and perspective of the relative strengths and weaknesses of each position group. 

The 2020 NFL draft did not feature a single safety selected in the first round.

The Giants made Alabama’s Xavier McKinney the first safety off the board this spring at No. 36 overall, which isn’t that much earlier in 2019 when the Raiders selected hard-hitting Jonathan Abrams 27 overall. Even Derwin James had to wait until the 17 overall pick in 2018. 

Savvy football fans recognize that this recent trend is more of a reflection on a relatively average crops at the position – or durability concerns - and not a reflection on the importance of safety. The Jets’ Jamal Adams (7 overall in 2017) and Steelers’ Minkah Fitzpatrick (originally drafted 11 overall in 2018 by Miami) have certainly lived up to their early selections.

After all, given today’s dynamic and versatile offenses and the myriad of varying sizes and speeds of the runners and receivers (including at tight end) starring throughout the league, teams are more in need of “erasers” on the defensive side of the ball than ever before.

Unfortunately, there does not appear to be another obvious star like Adams or Fitzpatrick on the immediate horizon, forcing scouts to look deeper.

Teams could have just as hard of a time locating difference-makers at free safety in 2021 with most of the top prospects underclassmen and lacking preferred size. Teams are willing to overlook size for playmakers, however, and top prospects like Oregon’s Jevon Holland (nine career INTs) and Syracuse’s Andre Cisco (leading active player in FBS with 12 INTs) certainly check that box.

Meanwhile, teams looking for more of Kam Chancellor-type of enforcer at strong safety will be sure to check out LSU’s intimidating JaCoby Stevens or Florida State’s Hamsah Nasirildeen, each of whom offer rare size and explosive hitting for the position, while also starring against elite competition.

TCU’s Trevon Moehrig was overshadowed, at times, by now Minnesota Vikings’ first round cornerback Jeff Gladney, but his coverage and reliable tackling also stood out on tape. Richard LeCount at Georgia has similarly been overlooked from a national perspective but as mentioned in the cornerback preview, the Bulldogs boast one of the country’s top secondaries with the steady senior entering his fourth season as a starter.

Like TCU and Georgia, the Texas Longhorns have quite the track record of producing quality defensive backs and Caden Sterns looks the part of an early pick, if he can stay healthy. The 2018 Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year missed four games last year in the middle of the season after suffering a sprained knee ligament against Oklahoma State. 

Finally, while Holland gets most of the attention, his teammate Brady Breeze is one to watch, as well. While he lacks the eye-popping measurables of some of the others on this list, his instincts are reminiscent of former Washington rival Taylor Rapp.

Rapp, you may recall, slipped to the second round in the 2019 draft due to questions about his straight-line speed. He silenced his critics immediately once in the NFL, however, leading all rookie defensive backs with 100 tackles while starting just 10 games for the Rams last season.

Underclassmen are denoted with an asterisk.

The Top Five

1.*Jevon Holland 6-1, 196 Oregon

2 *Andre Cisco 6-0, 203 Syracuse

3. *Caden Sterns 6-0, 210 Texas

4. Hamsah Nasirildeen 6-4, 215 Florida State

5. *Trevon Moehrig 6-1, 208 TCU

Best of the Rest

6. Richard LeCounte 5-10, 190 Georgia

7. JaCoby Stevens 6-1, 228 LSU

8. Richie Grant 6-0, 194 Central Florida

9. Kekaula Kaniho 5-10, 182 Boise State

10. Brady Breeze 6-0, 196 Oregon

11. Brad Stewart 6-0, 200 Florida

12. Tariq Thompson 6-0, 200 San Diego State

13. Nolan Turner 6-1, 195 Clemson

14. James Wiggins 6-0, 205 Cincinnati

15. *Kolby Harvell-Peel 6-0, 210 Oklahoma State

16. Greg Eisworth 5-11, 198 Iowa State

17. Mike Brown 6-1, 211 Miami (OH)

18. Divine Deablo 6-2, 223 Virginia Tech

19. Marcelino Ball 5-11, 223 Indiana

20. D.J. Ford 6-2, 210 North Carolina

Prior “First Take” Positional Previews:

Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide Receivers | Tight Ends | Offensive Tackles | Offensive Guards | Centers | Defensive Ends | Defensive Tackles | Outside Linebackers | Inside Linebackers | Cornerbacks |  

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