It’s that time of year, folks. With April finally here, it’s time for me to release my final position rankings for this class. It’s a process that’s stretched all the way back to last summer, with literal days of grinding film on top of collecting other nuggets from the Combine, All-Star performances and more. It’s all led to this.

This is a strong safety class with an unusual concentration of high-end talent. Three prospects are likely to hear their names called on Day 1, with a collection of strong Day 2 talent behind them for teams with other priorities on the draft’s first night. Not only that, but each prospect fits into a variety of schemes, some offering a lot of versatility and others fitting specific systems well. It’s a good year to need a safety and there’s someone for everyone in this class.

Of course, follow us for more draft coverage. I’ll be finalizing the rest of my position rankings in the coming weeks, as well as providing you all with wall-to-wall coverage of the draft. This next month will be a big one for us on the draft side, so stay tuned!

• Top 150 Big Board
• 2026 NFL Draft Visit Tracker
• Final Position Rankings: Quarterbacks
• Final Position Rankings: Offensive Tackles
• Final Position Rankings: Interior Offensive Linemen

1: Caleb Downs, Ohio State

A consensus five-star recruit from Georgia and the younger brother of Colts WR Josh Downs, Caleb Downs began his collegiate career at Alabama. As a true freshman, he had 107 tackles, two interceptions, three passes defensed and a forced fumble, earning first-team All-SEC marks. After the season, he transferred to the Buckeyes, where he had 81 tackles, two interceptions, six passes defensed and a sack as a sophomore, earning consensus first-team All-America and first-team All-Big Ten honors. As a junior in 2025, he once again garnered consensus first-team All-America recognition with 68 tackles, two interceptions, a pass defensed, a sack and two forced fumbles.

Checking in at 6-0, 206 pounds, Downs lines up all over the defense. He plays in the slot, in the box and as a deep-field safety about equally, perfectly comfortable in all roles. His instincts are off the charts — he reads plays before they happen and as they develop as well as anyone, with an uncanny ability to blow up run plays before the concept is even fully realized. When he goes downhill, he explodes to the ball, arriving with a suddenness and violence that completely detonates the play design. Downs is a powerful, sure tackler who rarely whiffs and arrives at the ball under control despite his play speed.

In coverage, Downs has the fluidity and hip agility of a cornerback, capable of mirroring slot receivers in man coverage. He’s best deployed in zone, however, where he can put his plus awareness to best use. His range on the back end truly is sideline to sideline, and he has great ball skills to tip passes and force turnovers. At the catch point, he plays the ball well, rarely drawing flags but making the receiver feel his presence. Plus, Downs has the added benefit of being an electric kick returner, capable of housing punts and kickoffs.

As you often see with younger players, Downs has a tendency to be overaggressive, leading to some big plays the other way. There are times when he gambles and jumps routes, only to get bitten on a double move. He doesn’t do this often, but there are occasions when he goes for the highlight-reel hit and ends up missing the tackle, but this is a rare occurrence.

A true blue-chip prospect near the top of my board, Downs is as clean a prospect as you’ll find at any position. He’d be a surefire top-five pick if he didn’t play safety, but that’s the key to his draft stock. How high can a safety get drafted? Downs will test that question this year, both because of his talent and how weak a class this is at the top. There isn’t a ton of superstar talent in the top 15 of this class, and Downs could be one of the main beneficiaries of that. I’d be surprised if he drops out of the top 12.

2: Dillon Thieneman, Oregon

A three-star recruit from Westfield, Indiana, Thieneman has deep family connections to the Purdue program and committed there out of high school, the third of his brothers to play for the Boilermakers. He exploded onto the scene as a true freshman, racking up 106 tackles, six interceptions, two passes defensed, and two forced fumbles, earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year and second-team All-Big Ten honors. As a sophomore, he followed that up with 104 tackles, six passes defensed and a sack, transferring to the Ducks after the season. As a junior in 2025, Thieneman had 92 tackles, two interceptions, five passes defensed and a sack, earning first-team All-Big Ten recognition for his efforts.

Standing at 6-0, 201 pounds, Thieneman is a phenomenal athlete even by NFL standards. He can play as a deep safety in single-high schemes, down in the box, or in the slot, and both Purdue and Oregon used him as a defensive chess piece to create advantages. With the elite speed to run stride-for-stride with corners and receivers, he can close on the ball in the blink of an eye, erasing plays on the back end with incredible swiftness and decisiveness. Thieneman will get to his spot in an instant from anywhere on the field, slamming throwing windows shut and snuffing out screens and runs with consistency. He clearly puts the work in in the film room, diagnosing plays as they develop and always being in the right position.

As a tackler, Thieneman is both sure-handed and thunderous. He brings the boom in run support and in the secondary without sacrificing his fundamentals, with one of the lowest missed tackle rates in this safety class. With the ability to cover one-on-one in the slot or blanket huge swaths of open space deeper down the field, he’s a defensive coordinator’s dream. At the catch point, he plays with good instincts and natural hands, disrupting the receiver and playing the ball to create takeaways.

Thieneman does have a few limitations in man coverage, as he can get beaten underneath by smaller, twitchier athletes who can turn on a dime a little faster than he can. When playing closer to the line of scrimmage, he has a bad habit of overrunning run plays, failing to maintain gap integrity and allowing cutback lanes. As I said with Downs, he can be overaggressive at times, going for big plays, but I’d expect a lot of that to get cleaned up as he gains more experience.

There was a time when I was going to be the high man on Thieneman. As a freshman, he was every bit as good as Downs — though with less of the spotlight on him in West Lafayette. He’s only gotten better since then and I think he can have a Nick Emmanwori-esque impact with his new team. There’s room to pack another five or 10 pounds on him without compromising his speed, and he can be a real weapon at the next level. I have a first-round grade on Thieneman and at this point it would be a surprise if he fell out of the top 20.

3: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo

A three-star recruit from Tampa, McNeil-Warren mostly played special teams as a true freshman for the Rockets before breaking out as a sophomore. In 2023, he had 68 tackles, two interceptions, three passes defensed and four forced fumbles. As a junior, he had 61 tackles, an interception, four passes defensed and a forced fumble. As a senior in 2025, McNeil-Warren had 77 tackles, two interceptions, six passes defensed, three forced fumbles and a sack, earning first-team All-MAC honors.

At 6-3 and a half, 201 pounds, McNeil-Warren has plus length and athleticism in the secondary. He’s very fluid in space, with sharp change of direction skills and rapid acceleration that allows him to break on underneath passes and quick cuts to disrupt routes. He doesn’t give up a ton of separation over the middle of the field, baiting quarterbacks into dangerous throws before slamming those throwing windows shut. With his size, he can physically match up in man coverage with tight ends, matching their height and being disruptive through the route. He’s not afraid to mix it up in run support, flying downhill with thunderous physicality to deliver big hits.

McNeil-Warren’s best traits are his ball skills and ability to create turnovers. He has a knack for being in the right spot at the right time, and that’s a skill he’s clearly worked on. At the catch point, his long arms give him the reach advantage even against tight ends and taller receivers, and he times his jumps well to pick off passes. With eight career forced fumbles at Toledo, McNeil-Warren loves to punch out the football, and when he sees a ball carrier with a loose grip, he seizes his opportunities.

Though he has the size to physically match bigger receivers and tight ends, McNeil-Warren can get exploited by smaller, shiftier slot receivers in man coverage. He plays a lot in the box and sometimes struggles to get off blocks, lacking the strength to disengage and make tackles. His run fits are inconsistent and often poor, leaving wide-open cutback lanes when he overpursues to the ball.

I have a second-round grade on McNeil-Warren. He played in the box a lot at Toledo, but his best fit in the NFL may be as a deeper free safety. With great range and plus ball skills, he can be a turnover machine, especially when given the runway to keep his eyes on the quarterback and play downhill. The Rockets have been churning out NFL talent recently, and McNeil-Warren is another great prospect.

4: Treydan Stukes, Arizona

A former local walk-on in 2020, Stukes redshirted that year and earned five starts in 2021, becoming a full-time starter in 2022. In 2023, he was named honorable mention All-Pac 12 with 55 tackles, an interception and seven passes defensed. Though an ACL injury caused him to miss most of 2024, he came back with a vengeance in 2025. In his final collegiate season, Stukes earned first-team All-Big 12 and third-team All-America honors with 52 tackles, four interceptions, six passes defensed and a sack.

Standing at 6-1, 190 pounds, Stukes primarily played in the slot at Arizona but is more of a safety in the NFL, with some nickel versatility. He’s an excellent processor in zone coverage, keeping his eyes on the quarterback without losing track of his responsibilities and cutting off underneath throwing lanes. At the catch point, he plays with physicality, and his bigger frame allows him to deflect passes and disrupt receivers in a way that smaller safeties simply can’t. Stukes has the long speed to match any receiver down the field and can cover sideline to sideline.

In man coverage, I really like Stukes’ mirroring ability for a safety. While he’s not quite as fluid as a cornerback, his hips are smooth and he can stick with slot receivers throughout their routes. His physicality extends to press coverage, where he puts his hands on receivers without drawing flags and bumps their timing off. Stukes brings an aggressive edge against the run, recognizing plays as they develop and coming up from the defensive backfield to make stops. Misdirection and trickery don’t often fool him, and he’s capable of shedding blocks to make tackles.

Stukes gets himself into trouble with his overaggressive playstyle. Because he has such natural feel and ball skills, he’s often looking to jump routes. Opponents caught on, and double moves got Stukes with some consistency in college. When matched up against the shiftiest slot receivers he faced, they were able to outmaneuver him, playing with a level of tightness in their breaks he couldn’t match.

A top 50 player on my board, Stukes is a great second-round prospect. He has legitimate flexibility to play in the slot, in the box, or as a free safety, and his skillset is versatile enough to thrive at all three spots. He’s an older prospect and he does have his flaws, but I like what he offers regardless. There are a lot of good nickel defenders in this class, but Stukes is one of the best.

5: Kamari Ramsey, USC

A four-star recruit from California, Ramsey committed to UCLA and redshirted in 2022 before becoming an impact starter as a redshirt freshman. He had 40 tackles, an interception and four passes defensed in 2023, and transferred to USC after the season. As a redshirt sophomore, Ramsey broke out with 60 tackles, an interception, five passes defensed, two sacks and two forced fumbles, earning significant draft buzz but choosing instead to return to school. In 2025, Ramsey had 27 tackles and two passes defensed in an injury-shortened season.

Standing at 6-0, 202 pounds, Ramsey is a versatile defensive back who can play in the slot or at free safety. He’s cleaned up his tackling a lot as a redshirt junior, sacrificing flashy hits for sure plays and bailing out his teammates’ mistakes at times. In run support, he can fire downhill and make plays near the line of scrimmage, unafraid of the physicality in traffic and arriving to the ball with purpose. Ramsey plays with a level of aggression in his run fits that will endear him to drafting teams.

But coverage is where Ramsey will make his money, because he’s just so versatile and skilled. He has the man coverage abilities of a cornerback, able to mirror tight ends and slot receivers with fluidity and quickness. His short-area agility is top-notch and it lets him stay sticky in man coverage against even the shiftiest receivers the Trojans faced. When he gets to play from depth, he showcases advanced zone reading capabilities, comfortably playing soft coverage and triggering downhill in an instant to erase underneath routes and yards after the catch. At the catch point, he plays physical through the receiver without drawing flags, disrupting the timing and making plays on the ball himself.

At times, Ramsey can be a bit over-aggressive in his pursuit angles, taking himself out of plays as a result. His missed tackle percentage dropped significantly in 2025, but that was a smaller sample size, and he had issues with that earlier in his college career. Ramsey has also exclusively played in two-high schemes, and hasn’t shown the ability to be a true center-field safety that some NFL teams covet.

As a Day 2 pick, Ramsey has a lot to offer the league. He’s excellent in both man and zone coverages, capable of playing slot corner or safety in a two-high shell. He adds value in run support and won’t be overwhelmed physically against tight ends or bigger running backs. He played in the slot a lot in 2025, but his best tape was at safety in 2024. Ramsey’s reliability will be a big selling point for him as a prospect, as will his playmaking abilities on the back end.

6: Zakee Wheatley, Penn State

A four-star recruit from Maryland, Wheatley redshirted in 2021 before spending the next two seasons in a reserve role for the Nittany Lions. When Kevin Winston Jr. went down with a season-ending injury early in 2024, Wheatley stepped into the starting lineup and never looked back. As a redshirt junior, he had 95 tackles, three interceptions, four passes defensed, a forced fumble and a sack. As a fifth-year senior in 2025, he had 74 tackles, an interception and a pass defensed.

Standing at 6-3, 203 pounds, Wheatley can play single- or two-high schemes. He has true sideline-to-sideline range as a single-high safety, covering both sidelines and flying around the back end of the defense. His speed lets him trigger downhill on underneath routes with precision and excellent timing, blowing up passing lanes and making contact at the catch point without drawing flags. In zone coverage, Wheatley has excellent eyes, watching the quarterback without losing track of routes and always maintaining great positioning. When he has his opportunities, he will look to jump routes, with a knack for getting his hands on the ball.

Wheatley can play deep or in the box, and even has some reps as a slot corner. He has the fluidity and lateral quickness to play solid man coverage against tight ends, running backs, and even slot receivers. He has good ball skills and the body control to make tough catches, even in traffic. In run support, Wheatley delivers big hits routinely, never afraid to mix it up around the line of scrimmage and playing with the strength to bounce off of blocks and make tackles.

Though he’s good when mixing it up in run support, he tends to be overaggressive and can take himself out of plays. He’s a sure tackler when he gets his hands on someone, but he has a dangerous tendency to take poor angles in the secondary, leading to big plays when he fails to keep contain. In general, he can be a step slow reacting to plays as they develop, something that should hopefully improve as he gains more confidence.

I have a third-round grade on Wheatley. He’s a plus athlete with ball skills who can play deep or in the box, in multiple defensive schemes. That type of player has a ton of value, and he projects as a potential NFL starter, maybe even as a rookie. There will surely be ups and downs with him early in his career, but I like Wheatley as a potential value pick late on Day 2.

7: A.J. Haulcy, LSU

A three-star recruit from Houston, Haulcy started at New Mexico, earning second-team All-Mountain West as a true freshman with 86 tackles, two interceptions, three passes defensed and two forced fumbles. He transferred to his hometown Houston Cougars for his sophomore season, totaling 97 tackles, three passes defensed and a forced fumble. As a junior, he had 74 tackles, five interceptions and seven passes defensed, earning consensus first-team All-Big 12 honors. Before his senior season, Haulcy transferred to the Tigers and had 89 tackles, three interceptions, four passes defensed and a forced fumble, earning consensus first-team All-SEC recognition.

Checking in at 6-0, 215 pounds, Haulcy is almost built more like a linebacker than a true safety. Even though he can play all over the defense, he logged most of his snaps at LSU last season as a deep safety, letting him play to his natural advantages and keep his eyes on the quarterback. He’s most comfortable in zone coverage, with natural instincts and the ability to fire downhill in an instant. Haulcy thrives breaking on underneath routes, putting his foot in the ground and blowing up the receiver when the ball arrives. He can track multiple routes through his area and knows how to play off route combinations while maintaining his leverage.

In run support, he consistently takes smart angles to the ball carrier, using the sideline when he can and closing off space before bringing the ball carrier down. At the catch point, Haulcy uses his size to his advantage, creating turnovers and disrupting the receiver with consistency and timing. He can play in the box or from depth, making him a defensive coordinator’s best friend.

In man coverage, Haulcy struggles a lot more. He doesn’t have the flexibility or the twitchiness necessary to mirror receivers through their routes or break on the ball quickly. At times, you can see his lack of long speed come back to bite him, and he can’t really play as a single-high safety. Additionally, he misses a lot of tackles, a concerning trend for a player who has the size to be much more effective than he is.

Haulcy won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but he has a lot to offer teams that run a lot of two-high looks. I have a third-round grade on him and in the right scheme, he could easily outplay that draft position. His feel in zone coverage is genuinely great and he’s a playmaker on defense who creates a lot of high-leverage plays. While I wouldn’t trust him in single-high looks and he could get exploited in man coverage, if his drafting team leans into his strengths, he can be a starter in this league.

8: Genesis Smith, Arizona

A three-star recruit who stayed in his home state, Smith played a limited role on defense during his true freshman season in 2023 before stepping up as a full-time starter as a sophomore. That year, he had 64 tackles, three interceptions, six passes defensed and two forced fumbles. As a true junior in 2025, Smith had 77 tackles, an interception, eight passes defensed and two forced fumbles, being named third-team All-Big 12.

At 6-2, 202 pounds, Smith is an incredibly versatile coverage piece on the back end. With a freakishly long wingspan and smooth transition abilities, he almost looks more like a corner out there, seamlessly matching receivers through their routes in man coverage. He has some twitchiness to his game that’s rare for taller safeties and it lets him break on passes with a quickness that catches quarterbacks by surprise. When firing downhill, he plays through the receiver’s hands with great timing to break up passes without drawing flags. Smith’s length at the catch point is a real asset and it gives him the leverage advantage against tight ends and wide receivers alike.

In zone coverage, Smith plays with good instincts and a natural feel for the game, recognizing route combos and making plays on the ball. His plus wingspan lets him hunt the middle of the field, threatening multiple routes at once and covering like a hawk. He has experience deep, in the box, and in the slot, adding to his versatility. But his best fit might be as a single-high deep safety, where his range and recognition abilities are put to best use.

Smith has two main weaknesses in his game: tackling and run support. He misses a lot of tackles, taking poor angles to the ball and failing to wrap up with proper technique. When faced with blockers in space, he does little to avoid them or beat their blocks, frequently getting washed out of the play with little resistance. Bigger backs can run through him despite his size, and Smith struggles to play with proper run fits, especially when he’s lined up closer to the line of scrimmage.

Even though Smith only has two notable weaknesses in his game, they’re pretty big ones. He’s largely a net negative against the run and even playing from a deep single-high assignment, is a risk to blow a tackle and give up a long touchdown. I genuinely love his coverage tape, but I’m not sure how often he’ll get to put it to use if he doesn’t clean up the other half of his game. For now, I have a third-round grade on Smith, because I do think he’s that special in coverage.

9: Bud Clark, TCU

A four-star recruit from Louisiana, Clark redshirted in 2020 before an injury cost him most of the 2021 season. His breakout came in 2022, when he entered the starting lineup midseason and was named honorable mention All-Big 12, scoring two defensive touchdowns against Michigan in the College Football Playoff semifinal. Clark started the rest of his TCU career, earning second-team All-Big 12 recognition in 2025 with 56 tackles, four interceptions, seven passes defensed, and a sack.

Checking in at 6-1, 188 pounds, Clark is a true playmaker. He showed this off at the Senior Bowl, making big play after big play and forcing multiple turnovers. With great ball skills and a natural feel for locating the football, he comes up with crazy highlight plays on a routine basis. Comfortable in the slot, in the box, or as a free safety, Clark brings plenty of positional versatility with him as well.

Clark has good closing speed to the ball and can make plays from off coverage consistently. He has great instincts against the run, firing up from depth to make plays on the ball-carrier. Despite his smaller frame, he’s feisty on contact, shedding blocks with some consistency to stay involved in the play. His vision is solid and he can navigate through traffic to make splash plays. When Clark sees his opportunities, he doesn’t hesitate, and his plus speed lets him cover great distances in a flash.

A true riverboat gambler, Clark takes himself out of way too many plays. His aggression often comes back to bite him, as he overplays his hand or bites on fakes, leaving himself flat-footed against the real action. His missed tackle rate is high, likely impacted by his shorter arms and smaller frame. There are times at the catch point where he’s just outmuscled by bigger receivers, despite reading the play and getting good positioning.

At his best, Clark is one of the best defensive playmakers in this entire class. The problem is that he doesn’t do it consistently enough to make up for the plays he misses trying to create those turnovers. In the third or fourth round, that’s a much easier pill to swallow, and that’s the range I’d take him in. In the right defensive scheme, he can mitigate his deficiencies and come up with some big plays, but it’ll take coaches willing to work with him to improve his down-to-down consistency.

10: Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina

A four-star recruit and high school track star from Georgia, Kilgore made a splash as a true freshman in 2023, stepping in for an injured Emmanwori and never looking back. He was named a freshman All-American with 76 tackles, six passes defensed, an interception and a forced fumble, continuing his high-level production as a sophomore with 48 tackles, five interceptions and five passes defensed. Kilgore’s best season came in 2025 as a true junior, racking up 54 tackles, two interceptions and 10 passes defensed, earning second-team All-SEC recognition.

Measuring 6-1, 210 pounds, Kilgore is a matchup player. He predominantly played in the slot for the Gamecocks, but he has experience as a box safety as well, and those are the roles he’ll play in the NFL. Against bigger slot receivers and tight ends, he can be a weapon in coverage, with some agility in space to stay with his man and the physicality necessary to stick with those bigger targets. When he can play from depth reading downhill, Kilgore has success, triggering quickly to make stops and being decisive with his decision-making.

A strong tackler, Kilgore is a reliable run defender. He’s not afraid to take on blocks and go through people to get to the ball-carrier. He has a strong tackling form and the length to be a real problem for offenses, especially when lined up in the slot against smaller receivers. When he gets going downhill, he can blow up screens and misdirection plays, taking on contact with impunity and making offenses regret running action to his side.

In zone coverage, Kilgore gets lost. He’s indecisive and too passive, slow to react and gives up too much cushion. Smaller slot receivers are a bad matchup for him, as he’s just too big to stick with them in tight spaces. At times, he’s not aggressive enough against the run, which is a shame given his skill set. I would like to see him play with more force and intentionality at his size, as he could become a real weapon if he did.

Kilgore is a bit of a frustrating player to evaluate, but everything is still in front of him. He has an incredibly valuable body type and skillset in the NFL, he just needs to gain confidence and continue to refine his skills. I think he’s more of a box safety than a true nickel defender, but in reality, he’ll be best deployed against tight ends and “big slots” who are matchup problems for traditional slot cornerbacks. In the late third or early fourth round, Kilgore could have a lot of value.

The Next Five:

11 — VJ Payne, Kansas State: A 6-3, 206-pound prospect from Georgia, Payne has a unique build and skillset for a safety. He’s almost more of a cornerback, with elite athleticism and fluidity in space combined with strong ball skills.

12 — Bishop Fitzgerald, USC: A 5-11, 201-pound junior college transfer, Fitzgerald punches above his weight class with exceptional timing and footwork in his play. Despite lacking real NFL athleticism, he managed to hang in the Big Ten by playing smarter and more proficiently than his opponents.

13 — Michael Taaffe, Texas: A 6-0, 190-pound former walk-on, Taaffe is a good coverage safety who can play man or zone. He stays in phase when asked to play man coverage, but he’s better in zone, reading quarterbacks and making clutch plays on the ball.

14 — Jalen Stroman, Notre Dame: A 6-0, 199-pound transfer from Virginia Tech, Stroman is a downhill playmaker who thrives in zone coverage. He reads the quarterback’s eyes well and has good instincts, firing to the ball with impressive physicality for his size.

15 — Cole Wisniewski, Texas Tech: A 6-4, 220-pound safety, Wisniewski is a true college veteran who’s seen it all for the Red Raiders. He projects as a valuable backup and special teamer, who can come in and play meaningful snaps while being in all the right spots.