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 |
|
63 | 57 | 69 | 70 |
74.2
|
|
2 |
|
S |
|
93 | 88 | 72 | 66 |
83.3
|
|
3 |
|
S |
|
69 | 82 | 77 | 75 |
83.7
|
|
4 |
|
S |
|
70 | 57 | 80 | 80 |
84.6
|
|
5 |
|
S |
|
48 | 57 | 62 | 61 |
52.4
|
|
6 |
|
S |
|
84 | 76 | 63 | 69 |
74.0
|
|
7 |
|
S |
|
68 | 70 | 65 | 62 |
74.0
|
|
8 |
|
S |
|
78 | 70 | 80 | 74 |
78.5
|
|
9 |
|
S |
|
98 | 93 | 86 | 82 |
88.8
|
|
10 |
|
S |
|
70 | 66 | 72 | 81 |
83.5
|
|
11 |
|
S |
|
44 | 48 | 46 | 53 |
54.0
|
|
12 |
|
S |
|
64 | 69 | 62 | 63 |
68.0
|
|
13 |
|
S |
|
62 | 68 | 61 | 58 |
62.3
|
|
14 |
|
S |
|
69 | 69 | 70 | 65 |
77.0
|
|
15 |
|
S |
|
52 | 52 | 52 | 55 |
59.2
|
|
16 |
|
S |
|
78 | 78 | 78 | 78 |
75.0
|
|
17 |
|
S |
|
50 | 62 | 72 | 73 |
74.0
|
|
18 |
|
S |
|
61 | 54 | 72 | 66 |
61.2
|
|
19 |
|
S |
|
65 | 59 | 75 | 71 |
65.0
|
|
20 |
|
S |
|
63 | 61 | 65 | 64 |
78.0
|