• Tyler Owens headlines as the best athlete in the class: At over 6-foot-2 and 216 pounds (both above the 80th percentile, by the way), Owens recorded a 41-inch vertical and a 12-foot-2 broad jump, the second longest broad jump since 1999 – insane explosiveness.
•Tyler Nubin andCalen Bullock get the nod for best in coverage: Nubin has an 88.9 PFF coverage grade in free safety roles compared to Bullock’s 91.0. They both have the same number of interceptions with six, but Nubin has more forced incompletions with eight.
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We round out our 2024 prospect superlatives piece with the safety group. With the safety position becoming very streamlined over the last few years, there are specific roles that teams will value differently, which means more emphasis on the position's superlatives.
Best Athlete: Tyler Owens, Texas Tech
We didn’t even get to see the full display of Owens’ athleticism at the combine, but he still proved he’s the most athletic player from the safety group. At over 6-foot-2 and 216 pounds (both above the 80th percentile, by the way), Owens recorded a 41-inch vertical and a 12-foot-2 broad jump, the second-longest broad jump since 1999 – insane explosiveness. Owens didn’t get to run a 40-yard dash, but he ran a 10.35-second 100-meter dash in high school as a sprinter, which is championship level fast. Size and athleticism combined, he’s the best athlete of the group.
Best Tackler: Javon Bullard, Georgia
Bullard is one of my favorite prospects in this class. At just under 6-foot and 200 pounds, Bullard has been a slot defender/safety player for Georgia‘s defense over the last two years. He was able to garner that responsibility in such a talented defense as an underclassman because his player profile starts due to his play temperament. He recorded 39 solo stops and seven tackles for loss with just a 10% missed tackle percentage over the last two seasons combined. He’s not the biggest safety around, but he loves to tackle.
Wake Forest safety Malik Mustapha is also a heavy hitter in this class, though he has a lot more missed tackles than Bullard.
Best Ball Skills: Calen Bullock, USC
Calen Bullock may be in just the second percentile of weight for a safety at 188 pounds, but he can cover and make plays on the football. Over the last two years, he has seven interceptions (with one more from a no play) and 11 forced incompletions. These are impressive plays on the ball, too. Bullock showed off his elite range to get to the catch point and come down with it himself, especially in 2022
Best Cover Player At Free Safety: Tyler Nubin, Minnesota
This one was very close between Nubin and the aforementioned Bullock in the previous superlative. Nubin has an 88.9 PFF coverage grade in free safety roles compared to Bullock’s 91.0. They both have the same number of interceptions with six, but Nubin has more forced incompletions with eight. Their yards allowed and QBR allowed are very similar. Ultimately, I gave the edge to Nubin because I just like him more as a player. He’s not quite as rangy or fast as Bullock, but I think he sees the field and space at a higher level.
Best Cover Player In The Box: Kitan Oladapo, Oregon State
Oladapo looks the part of a box defender from the safety position. At 6-foot-2 and 216 pounds, he is above the 80th percentile for both height and weight. He was also the highest-graded safety in a box role with a minimum of 200 snaps (84.9). His 91.3 overall PFF run-defense grade from all alignments proves that is a calling card of his game. He recorded 14 solo stops with two forced fumbles in 2023.
Best Cover Player In The Slot: Tykee Smith, Georgia
I sometimes see Tykee Smith listed as a cornerback, but since he is listed as a safety in the NFL database, we’ll call him a safety and give him the superlative for best in the slot. Of all the safeties in the FBS over the last two years, Smith has the second-best overall PFF grade (90.0), eighth-best PFF run-defense grade (90.5), seventh-best PFF pass-rush grade (84.8), and sixth-best PFF coverage grade (85.8). No one else can claim that kind of efficiency in an all-around manner.
Most Versatile: Jaden Hicks, Washington State
Hicks is just one of the best safeties in this draft. He has played more than 1,500 snaps over the last two years and did not record a categorical grade (overall, run defense, pass rush, coverage) below 70.0. He can be used as a free safety or a strong safety in single high or two-deep coverage shells. His missed tackles could get better, but his solo stops and tackles for loss both took a major jump forward in 2023. He’s a confident, smart safety with a good blend of size, speed and agility.
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