S · 12 prospects
Safeties.
Range, tackling, and communication. The brain behind the front — and sometimes the last man between six points and a stop.
- Avg. height
- 6'1"
- Avg. weight
- 203 lb
- Avg. 40
- —
Pro Bowl ceiling
- 01
KJ BoldenBig Board #18· Rd 1Third-year Georgia safety and former five-star who took over the deep middle after Malaki Starks left; the range and the tackle volume are real, the splash rate has not caught up yet.
6'0" · 195 lb40: —Bomb Grade82CompDerwin James (Chargers) — for his versatility to play in the slot, the box, or as a single-high safety, combined with killer instincts against the run.
- 02
Jackson BenneeBig Board #21· Rd 1A former walk-on from Holladay who went from six tackles as a backup to 64 tackles, four interceptions and two blocked kicks in 2025, and now carries a Paul Hornung Award watch-list tag into his junior year.
6'2" · 190 lb40: —Bomb Grade81.1CompKyle Hamilton (versatility, range) / Justin Simmons (zone coverage instincts).
Day 1 starter
- 03
Zach LutmerBig Board #34· Rd 2A small-town Iowa recruit turned second-team All-Big Ten hybrid: 71 tackles, 5.5 for loss, three interceptions with a pick-six and seven pass breakups in 2025.
6'1" · 203 lb40: —Bomb Grade76.8CompHarrison Smith / Kyle Hamilton (athletic version) — For his "Swiss Army knife" versatility in the box and elite defensive IQ.
- 04
Ty BenefieldBig Board #53· Rd 2A 6-3, 208-pound safety out of Crean Lutheran in Altadena, Benefield started three seasons at Boise State and piled up 174 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and five interceptions before transferring to LSU in January 2026. H
6'3" · 208 lb40: —Bomb Grade72.5CompKyle Hamilton (Ravens) / Xavier McKinney (Packers) — for their positional versatility and ability to erase the seam.
Solid starter
- 05
Bray HubbardBig Board #65· Rd 3A four-star recruit and two-time Mississippi 6A Mr. Football as a quarterback out of Ocean Springs, Hubbard converted to safety at Alabama and broke through in 2025 with 74 tackles, four interceptions, three forced fumbl
6'2" · 217 lb40: —Bomb Grade69CompBudda Baker / Jordan Battle
- 06
Jaylen McClainBig Board #89· Rd 3Jaylen McClain plays the position the way coaches diagram it. In 2025 he posted 53 tackles — 42 of them solo — with three passes defensed for an Ohio State defense that asks its safeties to rotate late, disguise coverage
6'0" · 201 lb40: —Bomb Grade63.6CompJalen Thompson
- 07
Koi PerichBig Board #95· Rd 3Koi Perich is the rarest kind of prospect: a player whose problem is that he is good at too many things. As a true freshman at Minnesota in 2024 he intercepted five passes with 46 tackles and returned 20 punts and 16 kic
6'1" · 200 lb40: —Bomb Grade62.2CompKerby Joseph
Rotation
- 08
Tae JohnsonBig Board #110· Rd 4A 6-2, 200-pound Notre Dame safety who intercepted four passes for 73 return yards in 10 games in 2025 and made the FWAA Freshman All-America team. Deep-half range and elite ball skills, with the run fit still under cons
6'2" · 200 lb40: —Bomb Grade59.6CompDesmond King II / Julian Love (for their versatility and high positional intelligence despite not being elite athletes).
- 09
Marcus Neal Jr.Big Board #112· Rd 4Marcus Neal Jr. is a 6-1, 216-pound junior safety from Kansas City, Missouri who started every game at Iowa State in 2025 before transferring to Penn State. The 2025 line is unusual for a defensive back: 77 total tackles
6'1" · 216 lb40: —Bomb Grade59.3CompXavier McKinney (Green Bay Packers) for his versatility to play in the post or near the box, with a similar physical frame.
- 10
Jelani McDonaldBig Board #122· Rd 4A 6-2, 199-pound Texas safety who started all 13 games in 2025 and led the back end with 80 tackles (49 solo), three interceptions and three pass breakups. Long, rangy and comfortable playing downhill from depth, with th
6'2" · 199 lb40: —Bomb Grade58.2CompIsaiah Simmons / Kyle Hamilton (developmental version) — Due to his unique physical frame and multi-sport high school background.
- 11
Tao JohnsonBig Board #128· Rd 4A 6-0, 194-pound fifth-year safety who played 43 games at Utah, starting 23 at safety and 12 at nickel, before transferring to UCLA for 2026. Reliable tackler with real slot experience and 3 career interceptions, but he
6'0" · 194 lb40: —Bomb Grade57.6CompDax Hill / Jalen Pitre (due to their hybrid profile and slot aggressiveness)
- 12Dashawn SpearsBig Board #137· Rd 5
Spears arrived at LSU as a top-100 composite safety and then waited. Two seasons in a crowded room produced 26 games, four starts and one loud afternoon: two interceptions off DJ Lagway in September 2025 that earned SEC
6'3" · 209 lb40: —Bomb Grade56.6CompJordan Battle