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 |
|
59 | 68 | 71 | 80 |
79.0
|
|
2 |
|
S |
|
51 | 59 | 55 | 49 |
59.5
|
|
3 |
|
S |
|
75 | 73 | 75 | 74 |
84.6
|
|
4 |
|
S |
|
49 | 48 | 50 | 55 |
61.1
|
|
5 |
|
S |
|
80 | 80 | 71 | 78 |
77.0
|
|
6 |
|
S |
|
73 | 86 | 85 | 85 |
84.6
|
|
7 |
|
S |
|
70 | 79 | 63 | 59 |
68.3
|
|
8 |
|
S |
|
71 | 56 | 42 | 45 |
59.1
|
|
9 |
|
S |
|
62 | 68 | 62 | 61 |
68.4
|
|
10 |
|
S |
|
82 | 80 | 71 | 70 |
78.0
|
|
11 |
|
S |
|
42 | 78 | 57 | 54 |
60.0
|
|
12 |
|
S |
|
73 | 63 | 65 | 68 |
78.0
|
|
13 |
|
S |
|
76 | 73 | 78 | 68 |
78.0
|
|
14 |
|
S |
|
79 | 82 | 74 | 71 |
84.8
|
|
15 |
|
S |
|
71 | 81 | 78 | 79 |
83.3
|
|
16 |
|
S |
|
50 | 66 | 79 | 85 |
80.9
|
|
17 |
|
S |
|
80 | 82 | 82 | 77 |
84.4
|
|
18 |
|
S |
|
66 | 78 | 58 | 66 |
83.2
|
|
19 |
|
S |
|
54 | 70 | 68 | 61 |
78.4
|
|
20 |
|
S |
|
83 | 92 | 82 | 79 |
83.4
|