Safeties are the last line of defense, so keeping mistakes to a minimum is required. The top 10 prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft SAF rankings do that and more.
2025 Draft SAF Rankings | 10-1
NFL Draft rankings remain fluid as we gather more information through the all-star circuit, pro days, and NFL Combine. Yet, the film is the film, and these safety prospects have already set themselves apart from their peers.
SAFs Just Outside the Top 10
- Quinn Schulte, Iowa
- Jaylen Reed, Penn State
- Rayuan Lane III, Navy
- Glendon Miller, Maryland
- Donovan McMillon, Pittsburgh
10) Hunter Wohler, Wisconsin Badgers
Hunter Wohler is the embodiment of Wisconsin football. In 2023, he racked up the second-most tackles (120) in the Big Ten and earned first-team all-conference honors for his efforts.
Spending most of his time in the box certainly helped, but Wohler also spent significant time in the slot and at deep safety — as he did this year. He’s best deployed near the line of scrimmage, as he shoots out of a cannon downhill and has the range to chase down RBs from the backside of the play.
9) Jonas Sanker, Virginia Cavaliers
Not much went right for Virginia the last two years, but that didn’t stop Jonas Sanker from balling out. He absolutely stuffed the stat sheet, recording 205 tackles, 18 PBUs, one INTs, and three forced fumbles.
Like Wohler, Sanker is at his best closer to the box, where his physicality and reliable tackling shine.
8) Billy Bowman Jr., Oklahoma Sooners
If you watch all six of Billy Bowman Jr.’s INTs from 2023, you’ll notice that only one was a great play on the ball. Two were tips (one by multiple WRs), one was an underthrown ball rolling out, one was a poor lob to the end zone, and the last was an egregious overthrow.
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Now, being in the position to nab all six is a skill in and of itself. Hell, he even returned three for touchdowns, highlighting his athletic ability. But outside of that, he is a poor tackler (due to a mix of technique and lack of size) and not an impact player against the run, which are both huge for safeties. That said, his never-give-up mentality and versatility in coverage will endear him to certain defensive coordinators.
7) Malachi Moore, Alabama Crimson Tide
Malachi Moore was a part of many way-too-early 2022 NFL Mock Drafts, including my own. And while we are now two cycles removed since then, the highs are still alluring. Now, some teams may have him completely off their draft boards due to his on-field antics (see the Vanderbilt game), which have called his maturity and coachability into question.
Nevertheless, Moore’s highs are some of the highest in the class, and he’s also one of the most experienced defenders overall. Across 64 games, he accumulated 214 tackles, 15.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, seven INTs, 24 PBUs, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.
6) Lathan Ransom, Ohio State Buckeyes
With four seasons of starting reps under his belt, we know who Lathan Ransom is. He’s a reliable defender who will suffer some lapses in coverage and as a tackler. Yet, he was far less volatile in 2024 and has the size (6’1″, 210 pounds) and athleticism to be a versatile chess piece.
5) Andrew Mukuba, Texas Longhorns
It appeared Andrew Mukuba would leave Clemson for the NFL Draft, but he ultimately decided to end his collegiate career in his hometown of Austin, Texas. He racked up 149 tackles, 20 PBUs, and one INT in 35 games (31 starts) for the Tigers and generated another 63 tackles and five picks in his lone season with the Longhorns.
Mukuba is a physical specimen at the position, owning all the tools to fly around the field and man up in coverage. If he improves his play strength and positioning with the ball in the air, he could round into a premier single-high safety.
4) Kevin Winston Jr., Penn State Nittany Lions
Ladies and gentlemen, meet the next secondary member fresh off the Penn State-to-NFL conveyor belt. The 2023 season was Kevin Winston Jr.’s first as a starter, but you couldn’t tell based on his tape.
He led the team with 60 tackles and added two fumble recoveries, an INT, and five PBUs to his résumé. A partially torn ACL held him to just a couple of games in 2024, but KWJ offers much more than what can be shown on the stat sheet, as he is a constant communicator, immaculate tackler, and heat-seeking missile from the second and third levels of the defense.
3) Xavier Watts, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The reigning Nagurski Award winner, given to the nation’s best defender, Xavier Watts snagged an FBS-leading seven INTs last season and consistently made big plays when Notre Dame needed them. It wasn’t a fluke, either, as Watts has snagged another six picks this year to go along with 66 total tackles.
Watts has a knack for being where the football is and can fly around the field from any alignment, as evidenced by how Notre Dame has utilized him.
2) Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina Gamecocks
Nick Emmanwori is one of the most athletic defenders in the SEC, with 4.3 speed and linebacker size (6’3″, 227). His physicality and nose for the ball are deadly from the second level, but he reached new heights as a coverage defender this year, snatching four picks with two defensive TDs.
1) Malaki Starks, Georgia Bulldogs
Since 2022, Malaki Starks has registered six INTs and 17 PBUs, highlighting his playmaking ability in coverage. But he’s also one of the best tacklers in the nation and revels in crashing the box and forcing negative plays for the offense.
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Versatility is king on defense, and that just so happens to be Starks’ middle name.
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