Defensive Back Rankings 2027 NFL Draft

73 defensive backs ranked

DEFENSIVE BACK RANKINGS 2027 NFL DRAFT

The secondary is one of the strongest parts of this class. Three defensive backs sit inside our top fifteen and five inside the top thirty-two, in line with the stronger years we have graded, and corner and safety are both well stocked.

Notre Dame's Leonard Moore leads it, a corner who took five interceptions and added seven pass breakups in ten games. Georgia safety KJ Bolden is immediately behind him, the top-ranked safety of his recruiting class who posted 78 tackles with only four misses across single-high, box and slot alignments. Ellis Robinson IV tied for the SEC lead among defensive players with four interceptions in his first year of starts, and Alabama's Zabien Brown, a five-star who started all thirteen games as a true freshman, has returned takeaways for scores in both his seasons.

Between corner and safety this is the largest group in the class, and the one where a team can wait longest and still find a starter.
LAST UPDATED: 09/28/2026

Player Rankings - Defensive Back

# Player Pos H/W/S Team Weight Height 40YD AVG POS RANK AVG OVR RANK Rating Summary
47

S
Mason
Curtis

6-5 211lbs 4.52
S
Michigan   Mascot
Michigan Mascot
211lbs 6-5 4.52 60 392.5
80.4
Curtis is a tall, physical safety whose 77-inch frame and comfortable in both man and zone give him an unusual coverage profile, a young...
23

S
Faletau
Satuala

6-4 210lbs 4.60
S
BYU   Mascot
BYU Mascot
210lbs 6-4 4.60 43 189.5
84.9
Satuala is a productive box and slot safety whose high zone coverage and eighty tackles anchored a strong BYU defense, a 210-pounder with...
8

CB
Kelley
Jones

6-4 195lbs 4.42
CB
Mississippi State   Mascot
Mississippi State Mascot
195lbs 6-4 4.42 7 36.3
86.4
Jones is a long, sticky press-man corner whose 76-inch frame lets him smother routes at the line and contest at the catch point, rarely...
68

S
Malik
Hartford

6-3 200lbs 4.50
S
UCLA   Mascot
UCLA Mascot
200lbs 6-3 4.50 68 554
71.3
Hartford is a long, developmental safety whose 2025 was almost entirely lost to injury, a top-70 recruit with 75-inch length and good timed...
48

CB
Emmanuel
Karnley

6-3 184lbs 4.55
CB
Virginia   Mascot
Virginia Mascot
184lbs 6-3 4.55 44 203
79.7
Karnley is a long, physical boundary corner whose 75-inch frame lets him press, reroute receivers, and contest throws downfield, and he...
45

S
Zavier
Mincey

6-3 205lbs 4.45
S
Alabama   Mascot
Alabama Mascot
205lbs 6-3 4.45 52 277.5
81.0
Mincey is a big, fast safety with length and a strong run defense, a former blue-chip recruit who flashed downhill in a backup role for...
28

S
Corey
Myrick

6-3 200lbs 4.48
S
Clemson   Mascot
Clemson Mascot
200lbs 6-3 4.48 31 122
83.6
Myrick is a rangy, productive safety whose high coverage and low yardage allowed jump off the tape, a 75-inch defender with good speed who...
5

S
Dashawn
Spears

6-3 208lbs 4.43
S
LSU   Mascot
LSU Mascot
208lbs 6-3 4.43 11 52.3
86.9
Spears is a big, fast safety who covered and defended the run as well as anyone at the position, a 208-pounder with rare speed who carries...
66

S
Derek
Williams Jr....

6-2 201lbs 4.50
S
Texas   Mascot
Texas Mascot
201lbs 6-2 4.50 64 518
72.5
Williams is a long, fast safety whose 2025 was a reduced post-injury return, a defender with 74-inch length and good timed speed who snared...
59

CB
Randon
Fontenette

6-2 220lbs 4.50
CB
Colorado   Mascot
Colorado Mascot
220lbs 6-2 4.50 54 284.5
77.0
Fontenette is a 220-pound STAR defender listed at corner who plays more like a box safety or nickel linebacker, and his calling cards are...
58

S
Jordan
Castell

6-2 213lbs 4.45
S
Kentucky   Mascot
Kentucky Mascot
213lbs 6-2 4.45 53 280.5
77.1
Castell is a big, fast safety whose size and reliable tackling are the strengths, a 213-pounder with rare timed speed who finishes with...
53

CB
La'khi
Roland

6-2 196lbs 4.55
CB
Maryland   Mascot
Maryland Mascot
196lbs 6-2 4.55 49 229
78.3
Roland is a ball-hawking boundary corner who turned a part-time role into three interceptions, including a 100-yard pick-six against...

2027 NFL Draft Athleticism Chart - Defensive Back

We've compared players post combine 40 times and weight and charted them on the scatter chart below. You'll find the 40 time on the Y-axis and on the X-axis the weight in pounds.
The exceptional athletic freaks (determined by the combination of speed vs weight) will be found at the top right of the chart while the less impressive athletes will be sitting towards the bottom left.

For a much improved viewing experience (with more players) please view on a larger screen.

2027 NFL Draft Athleticism Chart - Defensive Back

We've compared players 40 times and weight and charted them on the scatter chart below. You'll find the 40 time on the Y-axis and on the X-axis the weight in pounds.
The exceptional athletic freaks (determined by the combination of speed vs weight) will be found at the top right of the chart while the less impressive athletes will be sitting towards the bottom left.