Four safeties to look out for in the 2023 NFL Draft

Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M

Antonio Johnson is a first rounder. Johnson is a bigger body at 6’3” and 195 lbs, but he has great twitch for someone his size. Whoever drafts him will need to have a specific role in mind for Johnson. He predominantly worked out of the slot and as a deep safety while in college. He doesn’t have experience doing anything else. He’s a high-effort player that is aggressive chasing down the ballcarrier and is fast to attack in the run game. He’s disciplined in coverage, but has been inconsistent tracking the ball in the air.

Jammie Robinson, S, Florida State

Jammie Robinson has a whopping 2,909 college snaps to his name. He’s a great tackler who also displays range and ball skills in coverage. He shows up on tape when he’s playing closer to the line of scrimmage. He has great positional versatility, but there were some bad reps when he got matched up man-to-man.

Jordan Battle, S, Alabama

Battle’s athleticism won’t jump off the film, but he has good range and physicality. His 4.45 40-yard dash time enables him to be able to run with receivers vertically. He’s not particularly great at any one thing, but is flexible enough to drop into the box. He tallied three consecutive seasons where he was one of the best coverage safeties in college football. Look for Battle to be selected somewhere on day two of the draft.

Ji’Ayir Brown, S, Penn State

Ji’Ayir Brown is another day two target. Brown would be an ideal fit playing the robber role, bumping down into the slot, and covering deep. He had 510 snaps down in the box and is an incredibly tough player. He’s dynamic when the ball is in the air with ten interceptions in the last two seasons. While he is physical, he can get out of control both in coverage and in tackling. If he can become a little more disciplined, he has the potential to be a solid contributor.