Safety Rankings 2023 NFL Draft

LSU Tigers running back John Emery Jr. (4) and Texas A&M Aggies defensive back Jardin Gilbert (20) and defensive back Antonio Johnson (27) in action during the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the LSU Tigers at Kyle Field. Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
LSU Tigers running back John Emery Jr. (4) and Texas A&M Aggies defensive back Jardin Gilbert (20) and defensive back Antonio Johnson (27) in action during the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the LSU Tigers at Kyle Field. Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

SAFETY PROSPECT RANKINGS 2023 NFL DRAFT

Our two top-ranked safeties in the 2023 draft class are both Alabama players in the form of Jordan Battle and Brian Branch. Battle is a traditional safety with excellent measurables (6-1 and 206lbs) combined with good speed (4.46 in the forty) and with very good career production. He however surprised us by not declaring as a junior for the 2022 draft where he would have likely been selected higher than this year due to a drop in performance as a senior.

Branch would likely have been regarded a bit of a tweener a few years ago but now with the nickel back (safety/corner) developing into a full-time pro role, he will be in much demand. He's put up amazing production as a slot corner over the past couple of years and in addition, to being great in coverage he's an elite run defender who rarely misses a tackle.

Antonio Johnson from Texas rounds out the best of the class. He's more of a strong safety box player, who hits hard and always wraps up, he, however, needs some work in coverage, especially in deep zone.
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LAST UPDATED: 04/29/2023

Player Rankings - Safety

# Player Pos Team Weight Height 40YD AVG POS RANK AVG OVR RANK Rating Summary
1

Brian
Branch

S
DET   Mascot
DET Mascot
190lbs 6-0 4.58 4 19.4
88.8
Brian Branch is a quality pro prospect who can play all over the defensive backfield. He possesses good quickness combined with disciplined...
2

Antonio
Johnson

S
JAX   Mascot
JAX Mascot
198lbs 6-2 4.52 9 53.1
87.1
Antonio Johnson is a quality pro prospect who has excellent overall athletic ability, good speed, and tackles like a linebacker. He'll...
3

Jordan
Battle

S
CIN   Mascot
CIN Mascot
209lbs 6-1 4.55 16 76.5
85.7
Battle has great natural ability with ideal size for a strong safety, is a natural leader, and has proved super smart while leading the...
4

Sydney
Brown

S
PHI   Mascot
PHI Mascot
211lbs 5-10 4.47 17 78.9
85.1
Sydney Brown is a super athletic safety prospect with impressive speed and a similar level of overall explosiveness. He has good size...
5

Jammie
Robinson

S
CAR   Mascot
CAR Mascot
191lbs 5-11 4.59 23 89.9
85.0
Jammie Robinson a super experienced and productive college safety, who has consistently been productive at multiple positions in the...
6

Brandon
Joseph

S
Notre Dame   Mascot
Notre Dame Mascot
202lbs 6-0 4.62 32 135.5
84.6
Brandon Joseph is a solid prospect who does everything pretty well but nothing at an elite level and is a kind of low-ceiling high-floor...
7

Christopher
Smith

S
LV   Mascot
LV Mascot
192lbs 5-11 4.62 24 90.4
83.7
Christopher Smith has proved to be a super productive player while playing on the best defense in the nation at Georgia. He's pretty...
8

JL
Skinner

S
DEN   Mascot
DEN Mascot
209lbs 6-4 4.55 20 86.6
83.6
Does a good job getting his head around in time when playing with his back to the line of scrimmage. Has the ability to cover quickness...
9

Ronnie
Hickman

S
Ohio State   Mascot
Ohio State Mascot
203lbs 6-0 4.45 39 167.6
83.5
Has the fluid athleticism and speed to cover tight ends and maybe even some big slot receivers. Hickman has the ball skills to create...
10

Ji'Ayir
Brown

S
SF    Mascot
SF  Mascot
203lbs 5-11 4.65 21 87.6
83.5
He’s a willing and capable hitter in run support and closes fast to make plays against quick screens. Not a major liability in man...
11

Jartavius
Martin

S
WSH   Mascot
WSH Mascot
194lbs 5-11 4.46 26 99.1
83.3
In the run game, he’s aggressive coming downhill and a sure tackler. Good strength to tackle. Plays with high energy and is a tough-minded...
12

Trey
Dean III

S
Florida   Mascot
Florida Mascot
200lbs 6-2 4.75 48 205.2
80.9
Has the fluidity, speed and quick feet to come down and defend slot receivers in man coverage. Dean also does a nice job breaking down in...

2023 NFL Draft Athleticism Chart - Safety

We've compared players post combine 40 times and weight and charted them on the scatter chart below. You'll find the 40 time on the Y-axis and on the X-axis the weight in pounds.
The exceptional athletic freaks (determined by the combination of speed vs weight) will be found at the top right of the chart while the less impressive athletes will be sitting towards the bottom left.

For a much improved viewing experience (with more players) please view on a larger screen.

2023 NFL Draft Athleticism Chart - Safety

We've compared players 40 times and weight and charted them on the scatter chart below. You'll find the 40 time on the Y-axis and on the X-axis the weight in pounds.
The exceptional athletic freaks (determined by the combination of speed vs weight) will be found at the top right of the chart while the less impressive athletes will be sitting towards the bottom left.