2022 NFL Draft Prospects: Safety

4/27/22: Hamilton totaled 31 tackles, three interceptions and three passes defended in 2021. A knee injury suffered while tackling USC’s Drake London took Hamilton out for rest of the season. While he has worked out before the draft, Hamilton posted some slow 40 times that hurt his draft stock, and teams say Hamilton’s character was underwhelming in the interview process. His stock has slid somewhat from earlier in the 2022 NFL Draft process.

At Notre Dame, Hamilton was a dynamic playmaker and difference maker. He has phenomenal size, speed and athleticism to go along with dangerous ball skills. With his size and tackling ability, Hamilton is a highly impactful run defender who flies downhill and is capable of being the eighth man in the box. With his speed and range, Hamilton was respectable as a free safety who locked down the deep part of the field. Hamilton also displayed some ability to handle man coverage on tight ends. Hamilton’s best fit as a pro might be as a sub package linebacker.

7/17/21: Hamilton totaled 56 tackles, an interception and six passes broken up in 2020. In 2019, he put together an excellent freshman season for Notre Dame, showing good ball skills with four interceptions and six passes broken up to go along with 41 tackles.

On top of playing well, the 6-foot-4, 216-pounder has upside as well as very good height and length for the position. Hamilton shows the versatility to play free safety or strong safety, to serve as the eighth man in the box, and or to handle man coverage on tight ends. The only role he should not be assigned is playing man on slot receivers, but he is a tough run defender who has excellent instincts in pass coverage. Hamilton has intelligence, good vision, and superb closing speed. He has the potential to be an excellent NFL safety.

4/27/22: Cine was a valuable defender for the Bulldogs in 2021, locking down the deep middle of the field. He totaled 73 tackles, an interception and nine passes batted. As a sophomore in 2020, Cine had 52 tackles and three passes broken up.

Cine has a good skill set with upside, and some sources think he could go late in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Team sources say that he could be a functional free safety, but Cine is at his best closer to the line of scrimmage as a strong safety. They loved his combine interview, as he his football IQ was very impressive to go along with his work ethic, character, and leadership skills. He then had a good field workout with a fabulous 40. Some sources have called Cine one of their favorite players in the 2022 NFL Draft. he won’t last long if he gets to Round 2.

4/27/22: Hill helped himself with teams at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine by blazing a fast 40. His interviews with teams, however, did not go well, and teams are concerned about his mental makeup.

Hill flashed some nice ability over the past few seasons for the Wolverines. His best trait for the NFL is his ability to line up and cover slot receivers. Hill’s quickness, flexibility and fluid athleticism allow him to line up at the line of scrimmage or pick receivers up in off-man coverage. The tape of Hill as a safety is not as impressive compared to when he played nickel corner.

In 2021, Hill recorded 69 tackles, two interceptions and eight passes broken up. In 2019, he had 36 tackles, an interception and three passes defended. Hill was even better in the shortened 2020 season, recording 45 tackles, an interception and four passes broken up.

4/27/22: Brisker is a talented player with speed, instincts and versatility, plus he is willing to get physical. He recorded 43 tackles, two interceptions and four passes broken up in 2021. Brisker has a tendency to get banged up and receives more attention from trainers than NFL teams like to see, but he is a well-rounded talented safety with run defense and coverage skills.

7/17/21: In 2020, Brisker flashed at times for the Nittany Lions while recording 57 tackles, four passes defended and an interception. He totaled 31 tackles, two interceptions and four passes defended in 2019. Brisker projects as a free safety for the NFL, and he has a good skill set for the next level. With his size, speed and athleticism, Brisker could be a riser over the 2021 season.

4/27/22: Cross was a decent defender for Maryland over the 2019 and 2020 seasons. As a sophomore, he notched 45 tackles and two interceptions and five passes defended. Cross was solid in the shortened 2020 season with 23 stops, an interception and three passes broken up. He put together his best season in 2021 with 66 tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles, five passes defended and three interceptions.

Cross has good size to be a potential strong safety in the NFL, and he has posted tremendous workout numbers. Team sources, however, say Cross did not always play to his potential and his tape is not as good as his workout numbers.

4/27/22: Pitre played well for Baylor in 2021. He was a good college player, but he faces some limitations for the NFL. What he does best is blitz and play slot zone coverage in the short portion of the field. Team sources say that Pitre is almost best as a very undersized linebacker, but he does not have the ability to play man coverage on slot receivers and is not big enough to be an eighth man in the box strong safety. Hence, he is a big of a love/hate prospect despite a ton of media hype. Sources at three different teams said they had Pitre with late-round grades and a projection of being a future backup and special teams player from those area scouts, but there is a lot of media hype about Pitre, so perhaps there are some teams out there that value him higher. Some sources think he would be a big reach, but given the hype they think someone might take him in the second or third round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

7/17/21: Pitre played well in 2020, showing some natural free safety skills in the deep part of the field. He logged 60 tacklesm two interceptions, two passes defended, 2.5 sacks and two defensive touchdowns. Pitre’s 2019 season ended after four games due to a torn ACL, but he returned to the field in 2020 and impressed NFL advance scouts.

4/27/22: Things finally came together for Cook in his fifth season. He was a tough safety for the Bearcats after transferring in to the program. Cook is a solid run defender with the ability to tackle and be the eighth man in the box. His ball production was decent in the passing game as a senior. In 2021, Cook recorded 96 tackles, one sack, two interceptions and nine passes defended.

4/27/22: Joseph put together an impressive senior year, recording 57 tackles, five interceptions and two passes defended. He showed a huge improvement over the previous three years, over which he notched zero interceptions and 60 tackles. At the Senior Bowl, Joseph had a solid week of practice.

Joseph impressed teams with his deep free safety ability because he anticipates passes well and is a threat to make big plays with serious ball skills. He needs some development and has to become stronger, but he has upside to be a starting free safety in the NFL.

4/27/22: Corker played well for Kentucky in 2021, including a really impressive game against Missouri. He had 82 tackles, one sack and eight passes defended on the year.

7/17/21: Corker was solid, but not overly impressive, for Kentucky in 2021. He needs to make more splash plays in coverage to rise for the 2022 NFL Draft, but he is a reliable coverage safety in the deep part of the field. Corker was a dependable tackler and run defender for Kentucky in 2019, which was his first season as a starter. Teams project Corker more as a free safety for the NFL.

4/27/22: McKinley showed some serious ball skills in 2021 with six interceptions and six passes defended to go along with 77 tackles. He had four interception in 2019 as well. While McKinley was a good college player, he is very undersized for the NFL.

4/27/22: Grant has a quality skill set with the traits of a NFL starter. He is a tall, quick, long, and rangy free safety for the back end. Grant recorded 50 tackles, nine passes broken up and two forced fumbles in 2021, plus showed his ability to defend the deeper field. He notched two interceptions in each of the previous two seasons to go along with eight breakups and 51 tackles in 2019.

4/27/22: Blount was a productive player for the Cavaliers and had a solid 2021 season, providing a lot of stops in the ground game. On the year, Blount had 86 tackles, three interceptions and three passes defended. In 2019, he recorded 95 tackles, 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble, three interceptions and three passes defended. Blount took advantage of a fifth season and will enter the NFL with a lot of experience from his time with Virginia. He is a strong safety type for the NFL.

4/27/22: Wright had a mixed 2021 for Alabama. He put together some impressive games, but he also had some in which he was beaten for plays downfield. Wright needs developmental time for the NFL.

7/17/21: It took some time for Wright to see the field in Alabama’s loaded defensive backfield, but he finally broke out in 2020 with 60 tackles, two interceptions and three passes defended. Now that he has experience, Wright could produce more in 2021 and be a riser.

4/27/22: In 2021, Pola-Moa recorded 57 tackles, a pass breakup and an interception.

7/17/21: Pola-Mao has produced two good seasons for the Trojans. He broke out in 2019 with 73 tackles, four interceptions and two passes defended. In the mini-2020 season, Pola-Moa recorded 40 tackles, an interception and five passes broken up. He has a good skill set and the potential to rise. Pola-Moa possesses good height and length to play free safety in the NFL.

4/27/22: In 2021, Hawkins totaled 60 tackles, two forced fumbles and four passes broken up. He’s a strong safety type for the NFL who might also receive sub linebacker consideration.

7/17/21: Hawkins has been a solid run defender and tackler for the Wolverines over the past few seasons. He has the potential to rise as a senior if he can show more pass-coverage ability. Hawkins has zero interceptions and only four passes broken up in his carrer, so making more plays on the ball in 2021 would help his draft stock.

4/27/22: Duncan is a quality strong safety and a good tackler. He had 76 tackles, three passes broken up, one sack and one interception in 2021.

7/17/21: Duncan showed some consistent ball skills over his three years playing for Georgia Southern, recording two interceptions in each season and a career-total 14 passes broken up. In 2019, he also logged 79 tackles. It will be interesting to see if Duncan can stay consistent against better competition in 2021. He has quality size, but faces some speed concerns.

4/27/22: Butler totaled 60 tackles, an interception and four passes broken up in 2021. He was a steady safety for the Ragin’ Cajuns.

7/17/21: Butler has played well for the Ragin’ Cajuns over the past two seasons. In 2019, Butler was a solid run defender, and he improved his pass coverage production in 2020. NFL advance scouts project Butler as a strong safety for the next level.

4/27/22: Woods was a solid safety for the Bears over the past two seasons and played well as a senior with 57 tackles, six interceptions and two passes defended. He has quality height, but he could himself by filling out his frame to tackle in the NFL.

4/27/22: O’Neal was solid in 2021, recording two interceptions, 58 tackles and five passes defended.

7/17/21: O’Neal was respectable for Texas A&M in 2020, showing an improved ability to make plays on the ball. He also had a decent sophomore season for the Aggies. While O’Neal has potential as a free safety downfield, he could stand to improve his run defense in 2021.

4/27/22: Team sources said they were disappointed with Bolden’s 2021 performance. They noted he has issues with missed tackles and takes bad angles. Therefore, Bolden is facing third-day grades for the 2022 NFL Draft.

7/17/21: Bolden was one of the breakout players of 2020, flying all over the field for the Hurricanes. He provided a big presence and showed the instincts to make some splash plays. Bolden was also solid in pass coverage, displaying length, quickness and feel. Some team sources said Bolden needs to cut down on missed tackles and taking bad angles in 2021. They said he has some similarities to Browns safety Grant Delpit.

4/27/22: Multiple team sources told me they graded Harvell-Peel as a late third-day pick for the 2022 NFL Draft. They view him as a backup and special teams competitor.

7/17/21: Harvell-Peel was solid for the Cowboys in 2020, but he also did not show enough in pass coverage to be a riser. Harvell-Peel put together a really good 2019 season for Oklahoma State, contributing well in run defense and pass coverage. He had a lot of production and splash plays for the Cowboys while showing a big improvement over his sophomore season. Harvell-Peel is more of a strong safety for the next level.

4/27/22: Monday played well for Auburn in 2021, but he has limitations for the NFL. Some team sources say they are projecting him to the late rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft, and some teams have makeup concerns with Monday.

7/17/21: Smoke Monday broke out for Auburn in 2020 with 73 tackles, two interceptions, three passes defended, one sack and one forced fumble. NFL advance scouts project Monday to free safety in the NFL, but with his size and tackling ability, he could end up being an interchangeable safety capable of playing both free and strong safety.

4/27/22: Weatherford was solid in 2021, recording 66 tackles, two interceptions and four passes defended. He is a sleeper who could rise. Weatherford also could be a candidate to add weight to grow into being a sub-package linebacker in the NFL.

7/17/21: Weatherford put together an impressive 2019 season, collecting 98 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, one interception and 10 passes defended. He only had three games in 2020, but he played well with 18 tackles and four passes broken up. Weatherford has good size, but speed concerns for the NFL.

4/27/22: Hall did not impress for the Hurricanes in 2021.

7/17/21: Hall formed a solid safety tandem with Bubba Bolden during the 2020 season. Gurvan collected 43 tackles and three passes defended on the year. In 2019, he recorded 66 stops, two sacks, an interception and three passes broken up. Gurvan is undersized and needs to add weight for the NFL.

4/27/22: Sterling totaled 13 tackles in 2021, only playing in two games before suffering a season-ending wrist injury that required surgery. He should have taken a medical redshirt and returned to Oklahoma State for next season, but he decided to enter the 2022 NFL Draft.

7/17/21: In 2020, Sterling was a solid run defender for Oklahoma State and contributed some plays in coverage. Improving his cover skills in 2021 would help him to rise. Sterling has missed some time with injuries in his career, so his medical evaluation will be important as well.

Sterling had a solid debut as a starter for the Cowboys in 2019, showing some ability to tackle and contribute in coverage. He has upside to develop and could improve in 2021. Sterling should add weight for the NFL, and it would help him to make more splash plays in coverage.

4/27/22: Turner-Yell recorded 53 tackles, three interception and pass broken up in 2021. He missed almost the entire month of October with injuries.

7/17/21: Turner-Yell is an undersized safety, but has good speed to cover ground in the backend of the field. He showed run defense and tackling ability in 2019. It would help Turner-Yell to generate more ball production in 2021.

4/27/22: Even though Anderson did not have a very productive 2021 season, he earned an invitation to the Senior Bowl, where he had a decent week of practice. On the year, Anderson totaled 42 tackles, one forced fumble, one pass broken up. In 2019, he had 84 tackles for Toledo.

Anderson has good size for the NFL. He might be a late-round backup and special teams candidate. Anderson put up an excellent 40 time at the combine.

4/27/22: McCrary-Ball recorded 28 tackles, an interception and two passes defended in 2021.

7/17/21: McCrary-Ball missed the 2020 season with an injury, and he was wise to return to Indiana for 2021 to try to prove he is healthy. McCrary-Ball was a tough strong safety for Indiana over the previous few seasons. He is strong and a quality run defender, but he needs to make more plays in pass coverage and show more cover ability to rise for the 2022 NFL Draft. McCarary-Ball is put together well and times well in the 40, but the medical concerns are a hurdle for him to overcome.

4/27/22: In 2021, Smith recorded 34 tackles, three interceptions and four passes broken up. Team sources say they have projected Smith as a late-round or undrafted free agent for the 2022 NFL Draft.

7/17/21: Smith is a fast and athletic safety who has good instincts and coverage skills, but he will need to gain weight to tackle in the NFL. As the Bulldogs free safety in 2020, Smith did not produce a big year statistically, but he impressed the advance scouts with his coverage ability.

4/27/22: Van Zandt totaled 38 tackles, one sack and one pass defended in 2021.

7/17/21: Van Zandt was buried on the depth chart behind Trevon Moehrig and Ar’Darius Washington in past years, but Van Zandt rotated into the game and did well enough to make it on scouts preseason watch list. He recorded 43 tackles, two interceptions and four passes defended in 2020, which was very good production for a backup. Van Zandt is a sleeper who could rise.

4/27/22: Bell recorded 15 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble before going out for the season in mid-September.

7/17/21: Bell has not produced much in college, but his skill set is good enough for NFL advance scouts to have put him on their preseason watch list. Bell needs to turn his potential into production during the 2021 season.