It’s that particular time of the NFL offseason where we’re stuck in limbo between OTAs and training camp. For the most part, not much is happening on a day-to-day basis. Teams are getting ready to start preparing for the season, if that makes sense.
But given that we have this nice break, it’s a good time to take stock of what we expect to see during the 2024 season. That’s why we’ve gone through each position, breaking down the top 20 players for 2024. We’re continuing that effort here by working through the league’s top safeties.
Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order by last name): Vonn Bell, Julian Blackmon, Jaquan Brisker, Ji’Ayir Brown, Kevin Byard, Alohi Gilman, Julian Love, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Josh Metellus, Trevon Moehrig, Jabrill Peppers, Jordan Poyer, Jalen Thompson, Jimmie Ward, Jordan Whitehead, Xavier Woods. Since this position is so deep, you could really take anyone after the No. 14 or 15 player on the roster and swap them out for any of the honorable mentions and it would probably make sense.
Without delay…
Let’s group these two guys together. Along with the aforementioned Metellus, they’ve been used as weapons by Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores in fascinating ways during the 2023 season. All three have lined up everywhere:
| Bynum | 561 | 186 | 282 | 49 | 42 |
| Black-smith | 346 | 390 | 151 | 39 | 185 |
| Metellus | 55 | 377 | 396 | 29 | 206 |
Metellus had the most unusual role for a defensive back, being used primarily as a pass rusher. His 29 pressures lead all DBs, with the next closest player having just 18. But Bynum and Smith arguably had bigger responsibilities, with Bynum patrolling the backfield and Smith covering the tight ends, flying downfield in the run game, and captaining the defense as a whole. All three could belong on this list, but we’ve gone with the two more traditional safeties here.
CJGJ missed most of last season due to injury. But the last time we saw him, he was a big part of one of the NFL’s best defenses, and his versatility makes him a rare asset in any scheme.
Curl remains highly underrated, to the point that the Rams were able to sign him for $9 million over 2 years. Perhaps because he has plied his trade so far for the decrepit Washington franchise, people simply don’t know his game. The 2023 season wasn’t his best, but he had been very good in each of the previous two, and he still played a versatile role and finished the year with 29 run stops, four pass breakups, and 87 total tackles. He should shine in LA
Delpit spent more time than ever last season dropping down into the slot, despite missing a few games and playing fewer snaps overall. He remains strong in coverage at fullback, and a new role in Jim Schwartz’s defense has also allowed him to make an impact closer to the line of scrimmage.
Stone never played more than 41 percent of the defensive snaps until last season, when he finally took over a full-time role in Baltimore’s three-safety defense. He broke out in a big way playing primarily as a deep safety, finishing the season with seven interceptions, and he was also able to contribute in the box and against the run. Heading to Cincinnati, where he’ll play for Lou Anarumo, should allow him to continue his progression.
Apparently beyond the injury issues that plagued him early in his career, Hooker has played in 47 of a possible 51 games since arriving in Dallas. He has retained his deep-field patrolling abilities, and in his three years with the Cowboys, he has improved greatly in run defense. He doesn’t get his hands on the ball as often as he did in his days at Ohio State, but that’s partly because opponents aren’t testing him as often, preferring to throw elsewhere against Dallas.
We’ll just repeat here what we said about Simmons in our top free agent safety article, because it still applies:
Simmons is the best safety on the market and remains one of the best players in the NFL at his position. It’s honestly quite surprising that he didn’t get a deal early in free agency. There are plenty of teams with salary cap space that could potentially offer him a sizable deal, but that’s not usually the kind of thing that happens at this point in the offseason. Maybe he’ll get a one-year deal with the option to hit the open market next winter instead.
Honestly, it makes no sense that it hasn’t been signed yet.
After surprisingly breaking out as an All-Pro in 2022, Hufanga missed some time due to injuries last year, but he hasn’t really lost a step. He’s arguably improved in non-coverage responsibilities as a safety, and heading into Year 4, he should continue to improve in all areas of his game. Switching from former defensive coordinator Steve Wilks to the type of system the Niners played in his first campaign as a starter should also help.
Baker is an oddball. He stands 5’10” and weighs 195 pounds, but he plays like a monster-sized safety, attacking downhill against the run and pass, and flying off the edge on the occasional blitz. He had the second-lowest missed tackle percentage of his career last season, according to Pro Football Focus, and gave up the lowest completion percentage on throws in his direction. And that was against a defense that is seriously lacking in talent. If they add more players around him, he should be able to solidify every aspect of his game.
The Honey Badger continues to establish himself as one of the NFL’s best, most versatile and dynamic safety players. The model for many of today’s hybrid safeties, Mathieu has long played bigger than his size, though his coverage skills are what set him apart. He’s still a formidable player, even as he approaches his age-32 season.
Dugger showed far more versatility last year than ever before, playing more snaps as a deep safety than he did in his first three NFL seasons combined. He can still slide into the slot, and he can still go up and play the run, and he can still defend just about any tight end in the league. He gets his hands on the ball and generates pressure when tasked with rushing the passer. Oh, and he has elite size and athleticism for the position.
James has as much upside as any safety in the NFL. He doesn’t always capitalize on it, but his combination of size, strength, length, agility and ability to do whatever is asked of him in any role a safety might be asked to play is enviable. At his peak, he could be No. 1 on this list. At his median contribution level, that ranking is more appropriate.
McKinney is coming off the best season of his career and was paid rightfully by the Packers. A new defensive coordinator in Green Bay should be able to use him better than the last one, even if after a year where he dropped to the box and slot more often than ever, he’s becoming more of a center fielder again.
Williams is one of those guys who can just wipe out the deep end. He did it in New Orleans and he still does it in Baltimore. He had a career-high 10 pass deflections last season, and in seven years, he has allowed just 14 touchdowns in coverage while intercepting 21 passes. Williams has never been selected to a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team, but hopefully that will be corrected soon.
In just three seasons, Holland has become arguably the most versatile safety in the NFL. He plays deep, in the box, and in the slot. He even plays sideways. He’s fantastic in coverage and holds his own against the run, and he rarely misses tackles in open space. With Baltimore under a new defensive coordinator, he should be able to tap into his full skill set again.
Bates may be the best safety in the league, with 10 interceptions in the two seasons since arriving in Atlanta. He plays deep and takes almost all of the ball. Now playing for Raheem Morris, he should flourish the same way he has, if not more. Morris has a tendency to get the most out of less talented safeties in his previous stops.
This next group is on a different level than most other safeties. Even though Fitzpatrick was out for a while last year, he still found a way to make an impact at all three levels of the defense. After starting his career as a corner, he still has some of the best coverage skills of any safety, and he’s a turnover-forcing machine both deep and near the line of scrimmage.
Hamilton is a monster-sized cornerback who can also play in the box and upfield. He is one of the most unique players in the league. He finished last season with four interceptions, five pass breakups, 16 pressures and 40 run stops. That doesn’t make sense on any level. Mike Macdonald is gone, but Hamilton’s role should remain the same in Baltimore’s defense, and he should only get better as he progresses in his career.
Winfield can do pretty much anything you want a safety to do. Patrol the deep end? Yes. Cover running backs and tight ends? Yes. Stop the run? Yes. Blitz? Yes. Anything he’s asked to do, and excels at. He’s recently become the The highest paid defender in the leagueand he deserved his salary.