Safety Class
Early-round talent: B+Mid-round: B
Late-round: C+
Overall grade: B
2026 prospects vs 2025
Caleb DownsMalaki Starks
Nick Emmanwori
Dillon Thieneman
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
Kamari Ramsey
Andrew Mukuba
Javon Kilgore
Kevin Winston Jr.
Jonas Sanker
Just to be clear, this article and series are all my opinion. I base my evaluation on my own film study and also on information I’ve gotten from general managers, directors of college scouting, national scouts, area scouts, and NFL coaches who know way more than I do.
Last year, there was only one safety taken in the first round with Malaki Starks, but Emmanwori should have been taken on the opening night, as evidenced by his rookie season helping his team to win the Super Bowl. This year, there is a similar style class, and it could have more than a first-rounder. Caleb Downs is a better prospect than Starks or Emmanwori, and Downs is a legit top-10 pick. Dillon Thieneman, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, and Kamari Ramsey are not as good of prospects as Emmanwori but they are better than Andrew Mukuba. Javon Kilgore is a potential third-rounder on a par with Kevin Winston Jr. and Jonas Sanker.
Safest Pick: Caleb Downs, Ohio State 
Previous Picks:2025 Nick Emmanwori
2024 Cooper DeJean
2023 Brian Branch
2022 Kyle Hamilton
2021 Jevon Holland
2020 Xavier McKinney
2019 Johnathan Abram
2018 Minkah Fitzpatrick
2017 Malik Hooker
2016 Jalen Ramsey
2015 Landon Collins
2014 HaHa Clinton-Dix
2013 Kenny Vacarro
This year was not a difficult choice as Downs is one of the best players in the draft and is a true do-it-all safety. He looks like a very safe pick to be an excellent pro and should have a long, productive NFL career if health allows.
Biggest Bust Potential: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo 
Previous Picks:2025 Sebastian Castro
2024 Sione Vaki
2023 Brandon Joseph
2022 Vernon McKinley
2021 Caden Sterns
2020 Ashtyn Davis
2019 Deionte Thompson
2018 Ronnie Harrison
2017 Jabrill Peppers
2016 Darian Thompson
2015 Gerod Holliman
2014 Ed Reynolds
2013 Eric Reid
This was a tough decision because no player was really jumping out at me. However, there has been media hype of McNeil-Warren being a first-round pick, and I feel he could get overdrafted. McNeil-Warren fits as a strong safety, but I think he could have issues with the speed of pro receivers, and that could be exploited by offenses. He is making a big jump in play, and if he is drafted early, he could get forced on the field before he is ready. I think he needs development and needs to land in the right scheme with good coaching. I could see there being some bust potential with McNeil-Warren.
Safety Rankings by Attributes
Man Coverage:
NFL prototype: Xavier McKinney, Packers- Caleb Downs
- Dillon Thieneman
- Kamari Ramsey
- Javon Kilgore
- Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
Recap: The NFL is a passing-driven league, and safeties with the ability to play some man coverage are a hot commodity. Many safeties are too stiff to match up against a slot receiver, a tight end, or a receiving running back. Offenses seek out those mismatches, so good safeties have some man-coverage ability.
Downs can line up and play man coverage on tight ends and slot receivers. He shows fluid movement to flip his hips and run while doing a very good job of running the route to prevent separation. Downs is dynamic in coverage and shows impressive man coverage skills in the slot. In the NFL, Downs could be an excellent coverage asset with the man coverage skill to take on tight ends, slot receivers, and help on big wideouts on the outside.
With his speed and athleticism, Thieneman shows some ability to line up against slot receivers and cover them as a nickel. He does a nice job early in the route, but as routes extend, wideouts can generate some separation from Thieneman. That issue will get more pronounced versus pro receivers, so Thieneman should be used as a slot corner exclusively.
Ramsey can help with man coverage on tight ends, and he flies around the field in the middle portion with impressive speed to the flat. Ramsey might not be a great fit to constantly line up in man coverage as a slot corner.
Kilgore has the athleticism to play some man coverage on slot receivers and tight ends. He is best as a nickel corner and strong safety. McNeil-Warren has the size and ability to help in man coverage on tight ends, but he lacks the speed to run with pro receivers, so he is not a safety that should move to slot corner in the NFL.
Zone Coverage:
NFL prototype: Jesse Bates, Falcons- Caleb Downs
- Dillon Thieneman
- Kamari Ramsey
- Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
- Javon Kilgore
Recap: The ability to play well in zone coverage is a must in the NFL. There are teams that weigh this heavier than others due to the scheme. Zone safeties need to be intelligent and cover a lot of ground while playing disciplined and instinctive football. They have to be able to pick up receivers who work through the short and intermediate parts of the field. None of these safeties looked bad in the zone.
In zone coverage, Downs, Thieneman, and Ramsey are superb. They cover a lot of ground, pick up receivers that come into their area, and have instincts to make game-changing plays. They enter the next level as valuable middle-of-the-field coverage safeties as well as being able to play zone deep downfield.
McNeil-Warren was a solid zone coverage safety in college. He can bite on some playfakes, so improving his eye discipline is a point of development. Overall, he is adept at playing zone coverage in the short to intermediate part of the field. He is a physical presence and an enforcer who will dish out some hard hits on receivers. Kilgore is dangerous in zone in the short to intermediate part of the field, and he has the athleticism to play some man coverage on slot receivers and tight ends. Kilgore is not a natural fit as a deep free safety.
Run Defense:
NFL prototype: Kyle Hamilton, Ravens- Caleb Downs
- Dillon Thieneman
- Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
- Javon Kilgore
- Kamari Ramsey
Recap: The NFL doesn’t have as large a need for the big, physical safeties of the 80s and 90s who were mini linebackers. Still, coaches want safeties who are good tacklers and run-defenders who are capable of playing in the box. All of these players showed some solid run defense during their collegiate careers, and none of them looks like a bad run defender.
As a run defender, Downs is an excellent tackler and is superb at making tackles in the open field. He diagnoses, runs quickly, and flies downfield to cut the legs out from underneath backs. Downs is dynamic in defending perimeter runs and screens. The only real knock on Downs is that he is not big, and his size is perhaps a little below average for tackling at the pro level. Downs could add strength in a pro strength and conditioning program.
As a run defender, Thieneman is a solid contributor and good tackler. Sometimes he will miss from being overaggressive, but he does not miss tackles from poor technique. He comes downhill quickly and has no hesitation to cut down on backs. Thieneman is not a big safety, and he could stand to add some weight to tackle in the NFL. If his pro team wants him to play a lot of strong safety, he should definitely get stronger for tackling pro backs and improve his ability to get off blocks.
As a run defender, McNeil-Warren projects to be a good contributor at the pro level. He has zero hesitation to come downhill and get in on tackles. McNeil-Warren is a willing tackler and shows solid form to get ball carriers on the ground. He has very good instincts and is ball-aware, as evidenced by his impressive total of forced fumbles. McNeil-Warren should be an asset as the eighth man in the box at the pro level, and looks like a good contributor as a strong safety.
In the ground game, Kilgore attacks the ball carrier and does not show any hesitancy to come downhill to make a tackle. Kilgore’s tackling is at a good starting point, as he does look to wrap up the legs and not go for a bone-rattling hit without wrapping up the ball carrier. Kilgore has solid size and strength to contribute to run defense in the NFL, but he needs to fix problems with missed tackles. He also has issues taking on and getting off blocks.
In the ground game and in pass coverage, Ramsey is an adept open-field tackler. He shows good form to wrap up the ball carrier and also delivers some hard hits that punish the ball carrier. Ramsey is a willing tackler and run defender who will attack downhill. Ramsey could stand to get stronger and add some bulk for the NFL. He plays a physical brand of football, and at his size, he could be vulnerable to injury with how he tackles.
Ball Skills:
NFL prototype: Kerby Joseph, Lions- Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
- Javon Kilgore
- Dillon Thieneman
- Caleb Downs
- Kamari Ramsey
Recap: The NFL is always looking for safeties with a knack for picking off passes. Safeties with the ball skills to catch errant throws or slap passes away from receivers are a great asset. Elite safeties have a knack for creating turnovers.
McNeil-Warren showed consistent ball skills with pass breakup and some interceptions in college. He is instinctive and very ball-aware as well. On top of plays in coverage, he was tremendous at forcing fumbles. His ball skills are the best in the class.
Kilgore showed impressive ball skills over the past three seasons, with an impressive total of 21 passes broken up. He produced eight interceptions over those three seasons as well. Kilgore is a ballhawk and a threat to make some big plays.
Thieneman showed nice ball skills in college with breaking passes up. Downs was solid with his ball production over three seasons. Ramsey flashed some ball skills in college but was inconsistent.
Tackling & Hitting Ability:
NFL prototype: Brian Branch, Lions- Caleb Downs
- Dillon Thieneman
- Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
- Javon Kilgore
- Kamari Ramsey
Recap: Even though the NFL is trying to reduce the knockout shots that put some safeties in the Hall of Fame, a safety who is a hard hitter and can separate the ball is loved by coaches. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that tackling is getting worse, considering how much players are restricted from hitting. It seems that tackling is getting worse in the NFL. It isn’t hard to see why, as players don’t get to practice tackling very often. Even in the rare padded practice, players very rarely take a ball carrier to the ground. The union has restricted contact, while teams want to avoid injuries. Tackling is becoming a lost art.
Downs and Thieneman are good form tacklers who show steady technique to get ball carriers on the ground. Both of them are strong and physical. McNeil-Warren is a good tackler and reliable. Kilgore and Ramsey show some good tackling ability as well, but can be streaky. Kilgore had some missed tackles, and Ramsey’s tackle production really fell off in 2025.
