As I mentioned in my 2025 NFL Draft cornerback post, we typically see 50+ defensive backs drafted each Draft (a combo of corners and safeties, thanks to draft history). We don’t see the first safeties getting drafted in recent years until at least round 2. Safeties that can be used in various roles, for example, Detroit’s Brian Branch being able to play deep or up near the line as a slot player, tend to get teams calling their names earlier in the draft. However, even he was still a 2nd round pick (though projected as a 1st-rounder by us in the media).
If you want to check out my other top players’ lists, my 1st mock draft, or our community mock draft from the summer, all that content is here:
The community voted mock draft results – Click Here
My 1st 2025 NFL Mock Draft – Click Here
Top 20 QBs – Click Here
My Top 20 RBs – Click Here
Top 20 WRs – Click Here
My Top 20 TEs – Click Here
Top 17 OLineman – Click Here
My Top 20 DLineman – Click Here
Top 20 Edge Rushers – Click Here
My Top 20 Linebackers – Click Here
Top 20 Cornerbacks – Click Here
2025 NFL Draft – Top 20 Safeties
| # | POS | NAME | SCHOOL | HGT | WGT | My Rank |
| 24 | S | Malaki Starks | Georgia | 6-1 | 205 | 1 |
| 9 | S | Rod Moore | Michigan | 6-0 | 198 | 2 |
| 7 | S | Kamari Ramsey | Southern Cal | 6-0 | 204 | 3 |
| 24 | S | Hunter Wohler | Wisconsin | 6-2 | 215 | 4 |
| 3 | S | Keon Sabb | Alabama | 6-2 | 200 | 5 |
| S | Jeremiah Cooper | Iowa State | 6-0 | 185 | 6 | |
| 2 | S | Billy Bowman | Oklahoma | 5-10 | 191 | 7 |
| 0 | S | Xavier Watts | Notre Dame | 6-0 | 201 | 8 |
| 12 | S | Dante Trader Jr. | Maryland | 5-11 | 196 | 9 |
| S | Sebastian Castro | Iowa | 6-0 | 205 | 10 | |
| 1 | S | Xavier Nwakpa | Iowa | 6-2 | 210 | 11 |
| 8 | S | Lathan Ransom | Ohio State | 6-1 | 210 | 12 |
| 5 | S | Kendal Daniels | Oklahoma State | 6-4 | 230 | 13 |
| 13 | S | Andrew Mukuba | Texas | 6-0 | 186 | 14 |
| 13 | S | Malachi Moore | Alabama | 6-0 | 190 | 15 |
| 5 | S | Alijah Clark | Syracuse | 6-1 | 187 | 16 |
| 8 | S | Major Burns | LSU | 6-2 | 195 | 17 |
| 15 | S | Sage Ryan | LSU | 5-11 | 201 | 18 |
| 7 | S | Makari Paige | Michigan | 6-4 | 208 | 19 |
| 1 | S | Jaylen Reed | Penn State | 6-0 | 210 | 20 |
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Starks has been my top safety for some time now, I love his elite athletic profile, paired with prototypical size and aggressiveness, which are things I like in my safeties. Although there are stronger safeties in coverage, his football IQ sets him apart in my opinion. I know that injury concerns will be there for Starks, but I’d still expect to see him go in the 2nd round of the NFL Draft.
Rod Moore’s my #2, and he’s a very smart back-end player but unlike Starks, Moore has a bit more trouble the closer to the line that he plays, so I see him more of a center fielder rather than a player you can put inside the box. Kamari Ramsey has a chance to push for safety #1 in the class because he’s arguably the best tackler in the class, even though he may not have the athletic profile of Starks or Moore, on top of being a strong tackler he is strong in coverage (can play man or zone and do it well).
I wanted to give some honorable mentions of players I think will push into my top 20 as the season progresses (looking at you Wyett Ekeler, a member of Feldman’s Freak List), I could see Jahdae Barron and Sonny Styles as they all have shown some really interested tools/traits that I think teams will like as we move forward.
Thanks for Stopping By!
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