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 |
|
59 | 69 | 69 | 78 |
79.0
|
|
2 |
|
S |
|
51 | 59 | 56 | 49 |
59.5
|
|
3 |
|
S |
|
78 | 73 | 73 | 73 |
84.6
|
|
4 |
|
S |
|
44 | 47 | 49 | 54 |
61.1
|
|
5 |
|
S |
|
80 | 80 | 71 | 78 |
77.0
|
|
6 |
|
S |
|
75 | 85 | 79 | 85 |
84.6
|
|
7 |
|
S |
|
65 | 74 | 59 | 59 |
68.3
|
|
8 |
|
S |
|
69 | 55 | 44 | 47 |
59.1
|
|
9 |
|
S |
|
60 | 66 | 61 | 60 |
68.4
|
|
10 |
|
S |
|
84 | 84 | 70 | 69 |
78.0
|
|
11 |
|
S |
|
37 | 76 | 55 | 52 |
60.0
|
|
12 |
|
S |
|
68 | 60 | 66 | 68 |
78.0
|
|
13 |
|
S |
|
75 | 72 | 82 | 70 |
78.0
|
|
14 |
|
S |
|
75 | 83 | 72 | 69 |
84.8
|
|
15 |
|
S |
|
71 | 81 | 78 | 79 |
83.3
|
|
16 |
|
S |
|
50 | 66 | 79 | 86 |
80.9
|
|
17 |
|
S |
|
80 | 79 | 79 | 76 |
84.4
|
|
18 |
|
S |
|
62 | 77 | 61 | 65 |
83.2
|
|
19 |
|
S |
|
54 | 70 | 68 | 61 |
78.4
|
|
20 |
|
S |
|
83 | 92 | 82 | 79 |
83.4
|