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 |
|
39 | 47 | 58 | 57 |
71.0
|
|
2 |
|
S |
|
58 | 61 | 60 | 52 |
66.0
|
|
3 |
|
S |
|
89 | 80 | 87 | 90 |
82.5
|
|
4 |
|
S |
|
74 | 94 | 74 | 73 |
83.7
|
|
5 |
|
S |
|
60 | 68 | 65 | 67 |
65.0
|
|
6 |
|
S |
|
68 | 78 | 91 | 89 |
84.7
|
|
7 |
|
S |
|
72 | 68 | 61 | 59 |
64.2
|
|
8 |
|
S |
|
51 | 56 | 57 | 42 |
56.0
|
|
9 |
|
S |
|
84 | 80 | 69 | 71 |
73.1
|
|
10 |
|
S |
|
72 | 70 | 75 | 77 |
78.8
|
|
11 |
|
S |
|
49 | 70 | 76 | 74 |
83.5
|
|
12 |
|
S |
|
57 | 69 | 76 | 71 |
75.2
|
|
13 |
|
S |
|
69 | 73 | 77 | 72 |
57.0
|
|
14 |
|
S |
|
65 | 54 | 70 | 62 |
67.2
|
|
15 |
|
S |
|
53 | 47 | 58 | 55 |
62.1
|
|
16 |
|
S |
|
46 | 51 | 54 | 51 |
60.9
|
|
17 |
|
S |
|
75 | 69 | 70 | 73 |
75.2
|
|
18 |
|
S |
|
79 | 81 | 86 | 92 |
86.6
|
|
19 |
|
S |
|
60 | 75 | 68 | 60 |
66.0
|
|
20 |
|
S |
|
65 | 84 | 82 | 70 |
84.6
|