2026 NFL Draft Safety Rankings and Grades

The 2026 NFL draft cycle is gaining steam. The college playoffs roll on until a champion is crowned on January 19. After that, attention turns to the all-star game circuit in late January.

From there, the focus will shift to the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, then to Pro Days and personal and/or private workouts.

Below are the latest safety rankings, grades, superlatives and potential NFL landing spots for the 2026 class.

1. Caleb Downs , Ohio State (9.2)

2. Dillon Thieneman, Oregon (8.0)

3. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo (8.0)

4. Zakee Wheatley, Penn State (7.7)

5. A.J. Haulcy, LSU (7.6)

6. Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina (7.5)

7. Bud Clark, TCU (7.4)

8. Kamari Ramsey, USC (7.4)

9. Genesis Smith, Arizona (7.3)

10. Jakobe Thomas, Miami (7.3)

11. Louis Moore, Indiana (7.1)

12. Jalen Huskey, Maryland (6.9)

13. Xavier Nwankpa, Iowa (6.8)

14. VJ Payne, Kansas State (6.7)

15. Robert Spears-Jennings, Oklahoma (6.5)

16. Michael Taaffe, Texas (6.4)

17. Jalen Stroman, Notre Dame (6.4)

18. Jacob Thomas, James Madison (6.3)

19. Dalton Johnson, Arizona (6.1)

20. Cole Wisniewski, Texas Tech (6.1)

21. Lorenzo Styles, Ohio State (6.1)

22. Bishop Fitzgerald, USC (5.8)

23. Isaiah Nwokobia, SMU (5.7)

24. DeShon Singleton, Nebraska (5.7)

NFL teams with a potential safety need: Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Commanders

Best in Man Coverage: Caleb Downs

Best in Zone Coverage: Bud Clark

Best Run-Stopper: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren

Most Versatile: Dillon Thieneman

Bleacher Report Scouting Dept.'s latest Big Board has complete rankings for the entire draft class. You can also find more position-specific rankings here:

Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

Offensive Tackles

Interior Offensive Linemen

Defensive Linemen

Edge-Rushers

Linebackers

Cornerbacks

Rankings will be updated at regular intervals throughout the 2026 NFL draft cycle.