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 |
|
52 | 58 | 50 | 50 |
60.4
|
|
2 |
|
S |
|
48 | 56 | 65 | 66 |
74.0
|
|
3 |
|
S |
|
70 | 80 | 86 | 89 |
86.1
|
|
4 |
|
S |
|
79 | 68 | 69 | 75 |
80.2
|
|
5 |
|
S |
|
73 | 71 | 75 | 75 |
81.1
|
|
6 |
|
S |
|
69 | 75 | 78 | 75 |
83.1
|
|
7 |
|
S |
|
63 | 70 | 75 | 73 |
85.0
|
|
8 |
|
S |
|
70 | 84 | 69 | 69 |
81.1
|
|
9 |
|
S |
|
38 | 66 | 62 | 63 |
64.3
|
|
10 |
|
S |
|
37 | 52 | 58 | 63 |
66.1
|