Now more than ever, the safety position has become an integral part of the defense. gone are the days of your traditional free safety and strong safety. Safeties are now hybrids who have to be able to play in all three levels of a defense and play all three downs. The position has changed thanks in large part to more offenses running the spread offense. Defenses have to play more defensive backs now and that has made the safety position invaluable.

Here are our top 20 safeties and some thoughts on this group.

XNOJOE’s Top 20 Safeties

1. Derwin James, 6-3 215, Florida State

2. Jessie Bates, 6-1 200, Wake Forest

3. Justin Reid, 6-1 204, Stanford

4. Ronnie Harrison, 6-3 214, Alabama

5. Kyzir White, 6-2 216, West Virginia

6. Armani Watts, 5-11 205, Texas A&M

7. Godwin Igwebuke, 6-0 205, Northwestern

8. Terrell Edmunds, 6-2 220, Virginia Tech

9. Marcus Allen, 6-2 202, Penn State

10. Tre Flowers, 6-3 200, Oklahoma

11. Trey Walker, 6-2 200, Louisiana-Lafeyette

12. Quin Blanding, Virginia, 6-2 215

13. Siran Neal, 6-0 199, Jacksonville State

14. Jordan Whitehead 5-11 195, Pitt

15. Deshon Elliott, 6-2 205, Texas

16. Tray Matthews, 6-0 207 Auburn

17. Dominik Sanders, 6-0 193, Georgia

18. Chucky Williams, 6-0 211, Louisville

19. Sean Chandler, 5-11 185, Temple

20. Van Smith, 5-11 190, Clemson

Thoughts on the Class

–Derwin James might be the most complete player in this draft. He can play all three downs on all three levels. He is athletic, physical and has elite ball skills. James should go in the top top in this draft. If he doesn’t there will be a lot of evaluators that will have some explaining to do.

– Wake Forest free safety Jessie Bates is the best cover safety in this draft in my opinion. He has natural ball skills and shows good range over the top. Bates is effective in a single high or two high coverage scheme and he can also move around when adjusting.

-I really like the versatility Stanford safety Justin Reid brings to the table. He can play over the top in a Cover 2 scheme but he can also screw down and be the eighth man in the box. Reid is athletic enough that he can cover the slot in sub packages. He is a high I.Q player who can play in any scheme.

-Alabama’s Ronnie Harrison is a big safety who can play both strong safety but also line up as the big nickel in some packages. Harrison is really fluid for his size. He has good feet and transitions easily in and out of his breaks. has the coverage skills to match up one on one in man against a tight end or running back. Should be better in run support as a strong safety. Harrison takes a lot of bad angles.

– Kyzir White of West Virginia and Armani Watts of Texas A&M are two totally different safeties physically but they play a similar game. Both are aggressive and willing in run support and both posses quality ball skills in man to man situations. Watts can line up in the slot in sub packages but isn’t as physical in run support. White is better suited to be the eight man in the box. He will struggle in man coverage, especially against slot receivers.

-Oklahoma’s Tre Flowers is one of the best pure football players in this group. He can play in all three levels and all situations. He is tough and physical. Flowers is one of the better tacklers in this group.

-Virginia’s Quin Blanding is a four year starter and one of the most productive players in the country during his time in Charlottesville. He has good size and is smart over the top. Reads routes well and anticipates a quarterbacks delivery and can break on the ball. I don’t think Blanding has great feet and he can be stiff at times but he is a good player and would be a solid day three value.

–Godwin Igwebuke is an intriguing prospect to me. I think he is a good football but I don’t think he is anything special athletically. He just plays the game right. Recognition skills in both man and zone coverage are subpar. You see that on film. You also notice on film that he makes plays all over the place. Igwebuke is a tough scout.

– Siran Neal of Jacksonville State is a combo corner, safety who has good size and can line up all over the place. He is a willing participant in run support and is a sound tackler but he will struggle against better of competition if he doesn’t tackle better or disengage from blockers better. I can see Neal moving over to corner at the next level.

-Clemson’s Van Smith is on the smaller side but he is a terrific athlete and has plus ball skills. He is another versatile safety that can play in the slot and in sub packages. I like his competitiveness. Smith could be a solid fifth or sixth round pick on day three. He has a chance to make a team on special teams and athleticism.