Way Too Early Top-5 Safeties for the 2026 NFL Draft
It’s never to early to dive into the NFL Draft, and sure we’re 11 months out, but my board is already relatively deep! Here I’ll dive into my initial Top-5 safeties in summer scouting - as always this is VERY relative to change as the season, and even summer goes along.
Without further ado, let’s dive in to my initial top-5 safeties:
#1: Caleb Downs · S · Ohio State
6’0 · 205 · JR
No surprise here, Caleb Downs is my initial #1 player on my big board as he routinely displays excellence. He’s been the most valuable safety in college football over the last 2 seasons according to PFF’s wins above average metric, he’s an incredibly versatile defender thriving in numerous alignments, and he’s a tremendous athlete. When I was doing the eval for Downs, I legitimately could not find any major flaws in his game. He displays heads up awareness on every rep, a phenomenal tackler in the open field, an absolute playmaker who thrives in the biggest moments of the game; all in all, he’s just well rounded. If you want to have a lot of fun watching safety tape, watch Caleb Downs against Michigan, he shows his sheer love of his game (as per usual) in a bitter rivalry matchup. I have very high expectations for Downs in 2025, and expect him to deliver.
#2: Dillon Thieneman · S · Oregon
6’0 · 207 · JR
At Purdue this past season Thieneman produced some very solid tape earning himself an early 1st round grade from me. Now, at Oregon, Thieneman has the chance to showcase his skillset at potential CFP ball. His phenomenal closing burst, explosive downhill athleticism, and tackling technique blends very well within his skillset. Thieneman works tremendously at diagnosing plays and tracking QBs eyes at an exceptional rate. He’s got the IQ and spatial awareness to consistently win reps at safety, and it’s an added bonus that teammates and coaches are quick to praise his non-stop work ethic. Good in coverage, good in run defense, a smart player, very athletic, and a violent tackler. All in all, Thieneman is a 1st round talent in my eyes.
#3: Kamari Ramsey · S · USC
6’0 · 204 · JR
Ramsey caught my eyes many times on tape. He has a phenomenal mentality attacking the LOS with a non-stop motor and torpedo-like closing burst. He showcases the ability to rocket towards defenders with true 0→60 speed and a strong tackling ability. I really like Ramsey’s spatial awareness, he seems to always know where he’s at on the field which helps him take great pursuit angles to avoid blockers in space. His aggressiveness as a blitzer works very well with his skillset, while he can get over-aggressive at times, Ramsey typically shows great refinement blitzing with his strong tackling and plus athleticism. With his versatility across alignments, versatility among schemes, Ramsey projects very well at the next level among many NFL defensive systems, grading out as an Early Day 2 prospect for me.
#4: Michael Taaffe · S · Texas
6’0 · 195 · SR
Taaffe is a very fun prospect who impressed me on tape. Regularly showcasing true ball-hawk ability, Taaffe is able to diagnose plays quickly and efficiently with cornerback type cover ability - tracking the ball very well and disrupting passing windows at a consistent rate. He communicates well showcasing that he can be a true captain on the back-end, and is a certified film junkie with the ways he can jump on routes and read the QBs eyes. Athletically Taaffe checks most boxes, with phenomenal change-of-direction ability and solid top-end speed to keep up with true offensive weapons, Taaffe projects well at the next level as a Day 2 guy in my eyes. His tackle technique has drew some questions and he over pursues at times, but his traits showcase a lot of upside.
#5: Bud Clark · S · TCU
6’2 · 185 · SR
Initially in my evaluation of Bud Clark, the first play I watched made me audibly gasp, and it showcased his elite ability of jumping routes to create for huge turnover opportunities. Clark’s a good overall athlete, a solid wrap-up tackler, and a big hitter who throws himself at ball carriers. He’s solid in both zone and man coverage schemes with exceptional aggressiveness in all facets of the game. In run defense, Clark has phenomenal closing burst and takes good pursuit angles in doing so which naturally complement each other at a high level. My concerns with Clark ultimately sit with his lighter frame, lack of versatility, and while not a huge concern he is an overaged prospect. However, similar to Taaffe, the traits are what catch my eye, and Clark is a Day 2 prospect for me.
In summary:
Caleb Downs · S · Ohio State
Dillon Thieneman · S · Oregon
Kamari Ramsey · S · USC
Michael Taaffe · S · Texas
Bud Clark · S · TCU
Downs and Thieneman are my only 1st round grades thus’ far in the safety class, but there are a lot of difference makers on this list and even guys who didn’t make the initial top-5 cut. In these rankings it’ll be interesting to see over the year how the Taaffe vs. Clark battle goes because they graded out very similarly for me, but I ultimately chose Taaffe 1 spot higher for this run.
As always, these are very subject to change over the season and summer, and stay tuned for more content here on the substack and on my Twitter/X page @AndyyNFL covering the NFL draft all year long.