Safeties blitz from depth and off the slot, and the pass rush grade scores those snaps for pressures, hits and sacks. It is a small sample for most, and a real trait for a few. Tyrann Mathieu (LSU) and Kenny Vaccaro (Texas) were both used as blitzers regularly in college.
Below, draft-eligible safeties are ranked by pass rush grade, with tackling, run defense, coverage grades and overall rating alongside.
| RANK | Player | Pos | Team | TACKLING | RUN DEFENSE | ZONE | MAN/PRESS | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
|
S |
|
89 | 83 | 90 | 89 |
85.0
|
|
2 |
|
S |
|
47 | 42 | 39 | 46 |
27.2
|
|
3 |
|
S |
|
74 | 79 | 58 | 68 |
81.1
|
|
4 |
|
S |
|
77 | 72 | 60 | 68 |
74.8
|
|
5 |
|
S |
|
87 | 80 | 91 | 85 |
85.7
|
|
6 |
|
S |
|
71 | 69 | 71 | 67 |
71.1
|
|
7 |
|
S |
|
65 | 67 | 61 | 60 |
61.4
|
|
8 |
|
S |
|
57 | 73 | 60 | 60 |
69.0
|
|
9 |
|
S |
|
47 | 53 | 57 | 52 |
37.0
|
|
10 |
|
S |
|
58 | 63 | 58 | 64 |
76.1
|
|
11 |
|
S |
|
82 | 87 | 80 | 79 |
78.6
|
|
12 |
|
S |
|
66 | 68 | 69 | 71 |
55.0
|
|
13 |
|
S |
|
55 | 54 | 51 | 54 |
50.0
|
|
14 |
|
S |
|
50 | 70 | 68 | 57 |
63.2
|
|
15 |
|
S |
|
73 | 63 | 57 | 52 |
67.2
|
|
16 |
|
S |
|
72 | 77 | 82 | 78 |
76.0
|
|
17 |
|
S |
|
63 | 58 | 66 | 51 |
69.2
|
|
18 |
|
S |
|
65 | 68 | 66 | 63 |
60.0
|
|
19 |
|
S |
|
59 | 76 | 72 | 66 |
60.2
|
|
20 |
|
S |
|
61 | 62 | 72 | 73 |
65.0
|