2026 NFL Draft Safety Rankings: Caleb Downs Is In A Tier Of His Own

Throughout the pre-draft process leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft, Matthew Freedman and I have been releasing our positional rankings for the incoming rookie class. See below for the positional rankings you may have missed:

Today, let's dive into how I view the 2026 NFL Draft safety rankings. For coverage on all of the upcoming prospects, mock drafts and a fully updated big board, check out our free NFL Draft Guide.

Safety Rankings For The 2026 NFL Draft

Caleb Downs | Ohio State | 6-0, 205 lbs. | JR

Downs is what you get when you mix intelligence, athleticism and sadistic violence with an ideal NFL frame and pro pedigree. That's a lot, and Downs is a lot for offenses to handle. He exploded on the college football scene as a freshman at Alabama, where he won the Shaun Alexander Award for Freshman of the Year. He was also named a second-team All-American. He then transferred to Ohio State and, over the last two seasons, has become one of the most celebrated defensive back prospects in quite some time. He was named the Big Ten Defensive Back and Defensive Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons. Last season, he also won the Jim Thorpe Award and the Lott IMPACT Trophy as he led the program to the top defense in college football.

He is an elite processor of the game and operates like a quarterback on the defense. That knowledge allows him to play even faster than his athletic frame would suggest. He also has key natural Polamalu-instincts that he utilizes to make plays that are outside of his responsibility. He can play sideline to sideline in run defense, and when he's lined up on the third level, he knows how to go downhill and close the distance on a ball carrier quickly. What makes people fall in love with him is his relentless physical aggression as a tackler. He not only understands how to get players on the ground, but he also does it efficiently, and as an added bonus, he has that Peanut Tillman-type of ability to detach the football from the ball carrier.

One issue he has is in man coverage against elite slot receivers who are really good at changing direction. He is not as sticky a defender against that type of receiver, but that is negated in zone coverage at the second level, on the third level in two-high looks, or even if you shift him to the tight end, which he is great against. I guess the football gods felt it would be unfair to bless him with everything.

Dillon Thieneman | Oregon | 6-0, 207 lbs. | JR

If you looked up the definition of “rangy” in the dictionary, there would be a photo of Thieneman sitting there looking at you. There is no area of the field that he can't get to, regardless of where he is on the field. That type of range starts with elite athleticism and is followed by football instincts, a high IQ and an uncanny desire to get to the football regardless of the situation. That has turned him into one of the most productive safeties in football and his performance supports the accolades he has received. He was a First Team All-Big Ten and All-American at Oregon this past season. That followed up his Third-Team All-American nod as a true freshman at Purdue. He was also a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist.

He exploded on the scene his freshman season, with 74 solo tackles included in his 106 total stops, and he was able to pick the ball off six times. He followed up that season with another 104 tackles, which included 70 solo stops and 4.5 tackles for loss. In his third season on an improved defense with Oregon, his tackling numbers dipped tremendously because he did not have to make as many tackles, but his aggressiveness and ferocity never faltered. He uses his speed to close the gap on the ball carrier and explodes through the man with his hips engaged, like he is trying to destroy anything he touches.

He is an elite all-around defensive back who possesses positional flexibility as a tactical chess piece who can play in the slot as a nickel or drop down and play man coverage in the slot. At the third level, he can be a center fielder or work in tandem as one of two hash safeties. His production and versatility are why he was one of the most sought-after transfer portal prospects before the 2025 season. He is not easily manipulated by the eyes of the quarterback; he knows how to diagnose the play and he recognizes patterns well. When the ball is in the air, he has an uncanny ability to track the football and be right at the catch point.

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren | Toledo | 6-3, 210 lbs. | SR

If you are an offensive player going against Toledo, you should think of McNeil-Warren as you think of a quality hockey enforcer on the ice; the less you see him, the better. He has a frame that would make a linebacker envious and he plays with a physicality that might make some looking from the outside not distinguish the difference. After his breakout sophomore campaign, McNeil-Warren did something abnormal in today's college football environment: he stayed at the school that gave him the chance and allowed him to flourish. For the next two seasons, he was one of the biggest forces in the conference. Last season, he was a Jim Thorpe Award Semifinalist, the only MAC player on the prestigious list, and he was named a First Team All-MAC selection. He also gained All-American recognition from secondary outlets.

He creates havoc with his long limbs and an aggressive, physical style. He has a knack for getting the ball separated from an offensive player. In his sophomore season, he intercepted two passes and also forced four fumbles. Over the next two seasons, he would add three more interceptions, 10 passes defended and four more forced fumbles. His long arms can reach over receivers, snatch the football or knock the ball away. When he goes in for tackles, he can use one arm to wrap the ball carrier up and the other to either rip the ball out or punch the ball out of their hands. That is all made possible by his ability to attack contact areas for the football.

He is still improving at recognizing patterns or anticipating routes, so sometimes he is relying on his athleticism and length to make up for being a half-second slower on his recognition. Where he does make life difficult for passing offenses is when he is able to be aggressive and get his hands on receivers. When he rolls down into the box, he can be a disruption for slot receivers or tight ends trying to get into their routes off the line of scrimmage or trying to run their routes with McNeil-Warren draped all over them.

Kamari Ramsey | USC | 6-0, 205 lbs. | rJR

Ramsey has the movement and fluidity of a cornerback packed into a safety's frame. He has the range to play sideline to sideline, which makes him valuable as a one-high safety or in a two-high system. Over the past two seasons, he has been an All-Big Ten honorable mention performer. He was on the Bednarik Award watch list and the Lott IMPACT watch list. His 2024 season was his most impressive. It was a season where his full range of talents was on display. He showed his abilities as a tackler, accounting for 60 tackles, which included 43 solo stops. He displayed his aggressiveness around the line of scrimmage. He tallied 5.5 tackles for loss and two quarterback sacks. He also had an interception to go with his five passes defensed and he forced two fumbles. Ramsey dealt with injuries that caused him to miss time and play through pain during the 2025 season, which is reflected in his statistical regression from the 2024 season.

One of the things that makes a safety elite is their athleticism. The belief is that most guys who play safety do so because they don't possess the fluidity necessary to play corner, but that's not the case with Ramsey. He has the fluidity of a corner and the ability to sink his hips and change directions like those guys who play on the outside. This gives him value as a nickel or allows him to go down from the third level and cover the slot when the defense wants to play man coverage. His athleticism is one aspect of his game, and the more impressive and likely important aspect is his football IQ.

He has the ability to diagnose plays quickly like a poker pro at your homeboys' weekly poker game around the neighborhood. Most times, his response is so fast that the offensive players don't feel him making a move until it is too late to fend him off. When diagnosing the run, he reads the play so quickly that he closes the gap on the ball carrier before they can get a full head of steam going forward. He is an unexpected plus one against the run that allows the defense to play with multiple packages because he can be an extra tackle in coverage looks and an extra pass defender in run-heavy units.

Bud Clark | TCU | 6-1, 188 lbs. | SR

Clark is one of those veteran college football players. He has spent six seasons in college and, over his final four seasons, really became a more effective football player overall. He has an innate ability to get his hands on footballs and has turned himself into a playmaker. Over the past four seasons, he has posted 15 interceptions and has been able to take two of those to the house for touchdowns. He has Spider-Man-like senses when it comes to diagnosing route combinations, no doubt due to his experience and the many reps that he's received in college. He has an excellent feel for jumping in passing lanes and understands how to get his hands in front of a receiver's hands to knock balls away.

As a run defender, he has a second gear to come downhill and make tackles. He does a good job of squaring up runners or using near-hip rugby-style tackling to get ball carriers to the ground. That same second gear is what allows him to run with receivers on deep passes. Although he has been taken advantage of once or twice with play action, he has decent makeup speed and uses that to his advantage to recover. He will have to get bigger and stronger at the next level because his 6'1", 188-pound frame has caused him to miss games due to injury over his time in college, but there is no denying his football IQ and his production.

Jalon Kilgore | South Carolina | 6-1, 210 lbs. | JR

Kilgore is another one of these big, long-limbed, second-level safeties who have an opportunity to be playmakers at the second level. He has value as a strong safety or as a big nickelback to cover guys in the slot. His best ability will be throwing blankets over tight ends, and his ability to be a plus-one in run support. Over his three seasons in college, he proved to be a safety who can get his hands on the ball. He recorded eight interceptions and 21 pass breakups in that time. He has great range in zone coverage, which allows him to quickly get to his depth, turn and read the eyes of the quarterback. When he is locked up man-to-man, he can use his long arms and physicality to disrupt and frustrate pass receivers.

Despite missing a couple of tackles at times, he is excellent in run support because of his aggressiveness and ability to get to the ball carrier, wrap them up and get them down regularly. He should not be confused with a nickel corner or a one-high safety at the third level. His best ability will be playing in the intermediate and shallow areas.

A.J. Haulcy | LSU | 6-0, 222 lbs. | SR

When a safety like Haulcy hits you, you remember it. When the LSU defense was at its best this season, it was because Haulcy was able to set the feel of the game with his intensity. What makes him so difficult to handle? His well-packed, dense frame, mixed with top-end recovery and closing speed, allows him to leave an imprint on whomever he collides with. He is another player who started as a G5 talent and ended his career as an SEC standout. As a true freshman at New Mexico, he was named a Second-Team All-Mountain West performer and PFF Freshman All-American, the first player in school history to receive that honor. He then transferred to Houston and earned First-Team All-Big 12 and Phil Steele All-American Honorable Mention in 2024, his second season with the Cougars. This season, he transferred to LSU, where he earned First-Team All-SEC and First-Team All-American by The Sporting News.

Zakee Wheatley | Penn State | 6-2, 200 lbs. | SR

Size is not a skill, but that does not mean it is not a major help when you possess skills. Wheatley brings skills and size together. The five-year defensive back has worked his way into one of the most prolific tacklers at the position in all of college football. He has amassed over 100 solo tackles and 170 total tackles over the last two seasons. 2024 was a breakout season for him as he hit career highs in tackles and tackles for loss. He also finished with a career high of three interceptions. He is great in the open field in 1v1 situations, and he gets to the line of scrimmage and brings ball carriers to the ground immediately. He is not only a run asset, but he has major value in coverage. He has good range and understands how to get to the football when it is in the air. He will no doubt add immediate value to any organization as a special teamer while working his way into the two-deep on the roster.

Michael Taaffe | Texas | 6-0, 189 lbs. | SR

Taaffe is one of those safeties that will never wow you with his size or his athleticism, but he will constantly find his way on the field for you. The reason why is simple: coaches love smart football players who are willing to sacrifice personal achievement for overall unit success. They also love guys who started at the bottom and earned everything they have. Taaffe went from a walk-on to an All-American. He was honored as a Second-Team All-American in 2024 and followed it up with a Third-Team selection last season. Taaffe wins with anticipation based on his exceptional football IQ. He has seen a lot of high-level football over the past five seasons, and that has allowed him to recognize patterns, route concepts and offensive tendencies quicker. He is a great special teams asset and should garner immediate use in the NFL because of his abilities as a special teamer.

Xavier Scott | Illinois | 5-11, 190 lbs. | SR

Scott is an athletic safety who may not be the biggest player or the hardest hitter, but he understands how to play the football in the air, and that puts him in on a ton of passing plays. He is a pesky ball hawk. He missed most of his senior season with a lower leg injury, but his previous two seasons left Illini faithful excited about the possibilities on defense with him in the lineup. As a sophomore, he was an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention after leading the conference in regular-season pass break-ups. As a junior, he became a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist and a First-Team All-Big Ten selection while collecting four interceptions and six pass breakups. He has position flexibility as a cornerback and as a safety. It also makes him an excellent choice to go inside as a nickel back. His acceleration allows him to close on receivers quickly and get his hands in passing lanes.