The safety prospects in the 2024 NFL draft are reviewed below from the Ravens perspective. Previous position analyses are listed below.
Offensive Players:
Tackles are reviewed here.
Guards are reviewed here.
Defensive Players:
Edge Linebackers are reviewed here.
Cornerbacks are reviewed here.
The Ravens Current Safety Situation and Need
The Ravens have two high end safeties. At first glance, the position doesn’t appear to be one of high need. Both Kyle Hamilton and Marcus Williams have position versatility. Even though Williams is thought of as a traditional free safety, he can play up towards the box. Last year, he was hampered by his pectoral injury and unable to compete effectively as a tackler. Hamilton is obviously elite up in the box and at the nickel. Though he played some back end to acceptable effect last year, he’s most destructive and impactful near the line.
Geno Stone received a great deal of playing time last year, often playing on the back end and enabling Hamilton to play up. With his loss there is a need for another back-end type of player. Alternatively, the Ravens could opt for (if they can find it) another Hamilton-like player who is both comfortable in the box and credible on the back-end.
I believe the need at safety is higher than on initial reflection. Having an effective player to take Geno Stone’s back-end reps allows the Ravens to continue to use Hamilton as a swiss-army knife on the front end when they want to.
Safety Prospects
This is not a particularly good class for safeties. The class lacks any elite top end prospects. There are no first round caliber candidates. And there is a paucity of prospects who are well suited for back-end play.
Jaden Hicks
Hicks is 21.7 years old, 6’1 and 215 pounds from Washington State. He ran a 4.50 forty. Hicks is a big safety by modern standards. He tested well other than a poor 20-yard shuttle which indicates some of his athletic limitations. He is otherwise a solid athlete, a classic strong safety who seems best suited as a box guy who plays best running downhill. Hicks brings good closing speed. He seems able to survive on the back end as the last man.
Hicks brings the wood to a running back. When he diagnoses a running play, he quickly becomes a linebacker. He brings his mass behind his tackling, and tackles well in the open field. Surprisingly, he has some challenges playing through blockers.
But Hicks really struggles with poor short area quickness; his hips just aren’t that fluid, his footwork isn’t great, and it’s hard for him to change direction quickly. For me, this is a big problem and significantly limits Hicks’ appeal. It’s a big problem in the open field.
Hicks sometimes seems unaware in pass coverage. In press, he wasn’t particularly adept at jamming or fighting with his hands. Complex route concepts gave him some difficulty in zone packages. He bites in numerous ways. Hicks needs a much better understanding of passing concepts more generally. He also had some difficulty with twitchy-type receivers.
In all, I don’t see Hicks as possessing the skillset that the Ravens need. I really see him struggling when he’s not crashing downhill. I don’t trust him at this point on the back end, or in zone schemes. Some have him rated as a second rounder (perhaps because the class is so thin). I don’t. Round 4. Ravens: No.
Cole Bishop
Bishop is 21.5 years old, 6’2 and 206 pounds from Utah. He has excellent speed for a safety, as he ran a 4.45 forty. But he has very short arms, which is a red flag from a tackling perspective. Bishop is an excellent athlete. He certainly has the size to play in the box. His acceleration is excellent, with obvious top end speed. Bishop is a bit stiff, and not as fluid in changing direction.
Bishop is a hard hitter who finds the runner. He is aggressive and physical in man coverage, and has done a good job on tight ends. Bishop never quits. But he will bite on misdirection, can get fooled on play action, jumps down too quickly, and sometimes plays too hot.
Bishop has his issues on the back end, where he’s been a bit too eager, allowing receivers to get by him. But he seems to understand zone concepts well, as he’s quick to diagnose and react. Bishop blitzes well and is very tough. He is a good special teams player. Bishop has done a good job covering tight ends, and excelled in that role during the Senior Bowl practices.
I see Bishop as mostly a box player. And potentially a very good one at that. The Ravens need someone who is more versatile, and I certainly don’t see Bishop, at this point, as a safety who will thrive on the back end. He’s a better fit for teams that don’t have a Kyle Hamilton to play the box. Round 3. Ravens: No.
Javon Bullard
Bullard is 21.7 years old, 5’10 and 198 pounds from Georgia. He ran a 4.47 forty and has somewhat short arms. He doesn’t have ideal size. Bullard has excellent balance and quick feet with good short area burst. His hips seemed tight at times, limiting his range and the amount of ground you want your deep safety covering.
Bullard has a good football IQ, trusts what he sees, and reacts accordingly. He understands zone concepts and processes what the quarterback is doing very quickly. He plays with a lot of spatial awareness and has a strong understanding of what he’s doing. He’s a solid, if not upper end, performer in man coverage. Bullard’s backpedal isn’t great, creating some doubt as to how he will handle quick NFL slot receivers if tasked there. His straight-line speed is good. Bullard tracks routes well.
Bullard had a very good week at the Senior Bowl practices where he was voted by the players as the top deep safety. He played both safety and nickel corner at the practices. I must note, however, that he had some difficulty during the practices in one-on-one coverages (which tend to favor the wide receiver).
Bullard lacks top-end recovery speed. He is physical in his tackling but can be an ankle diver. He will wrap when he can. But he handles blockers surprisingly well given his smaller stature, and is actually able to shed. He has scheme versatility to his game.
The challenge with Bullard is that his size and limitations don’t suggest any particular positional fit at this stage of his career. I don’t see him as a straight nickel corner at this point. He’s too small to survive regularly as a box safety. And though there are some good aspects of his deep game, I wonder about his range as a deep safety.
But Bullard is only 21 years old, and with his advanced understanding of multiple responsibilities, there’s enough to work with to warrant drafting him. The only thing non-correctional or improvable at this point is the physical limitation with his hips. There’s otherwise plenty to work with. The problem, however, is that he’s likely to go higher than where the Ravens, given their safety situation, should invest capital for a player who is not exactly what they need day one. Round 2-3. Ravens: No (but I’d be interested in the fourth round).
Kamren Kinchens
Kinchens is 21.5 years old, 5’11 and 202 pounds from Miami. He ran a very slow 4.60 forty on his pro day. Kinchens didn’t test athletically all that well. He had excellent production in the last two seasons, however, with 11 picks and 22 passes defensed over 22 games played.
Kinchens possesses great instincts as a deep safety. He’s obviously an elite ballhawk with great ball tracking ability. Kinchens will hit you in the box and strikes well but he’s not a great tackler. He can keep up in man coverage with excellent short area agility. Speed is a problem at the NFL level. He made a lot of mistakes in both run support and coverage. For example, there were instances of blown assignments and taking bad angles in run support. But at age 21 he should get better and reduce the mental mistakes. He will take chances (sound familiar, Ravens fans?). Kinchens is a strong blitzer who times it up well. He’s very knowledgeable given his youth and a leader.
So here’s a player who lacks top level athletic ability. He’s comparatively slow (Ed Reed ran a 4.57 forty). He’s very good over the top and anticipates well. He can rotate down well and attack in the run game. I think most of his weaknesses are correctable, given that he’s a student of the game, but you can’t alter the physical shortcomings.
Kinchens is, indeed, an Ed Reed-type of player. I’m not saying he’s the next Ed Reed (no one is) but he’s that type of player. Round 2-3. Ravens: Yes.
Tyler Nubin
Nubin will be 23 in June, and is 6’1 and 205 pounds from Minnesota. He ran a 4.59 forty, has small hands and average arm length. Nubin has fluid hips and quick feet. But his acceleration was unimpressive. And he tested very poor athletically at his pro day, which raises serious doubts as to how he will translate into the NFL. He didn’t just test poorly; he tested incredibly poorly with terrible agility grades and poor acceleration numbers. And he isn’t the most naturally explosive when backpedaling and transitioning.
The production was there in college for Nubin. He had nine interceptions and 16 passes defensed over the last two years. This is elite productivity. Nubin brings excellent ball tracking skills and very good instincts. Nubin diagnoses and reacts to routes very quickly; he has great processing capability. He has strong fundamentals when tackling and good range. Nubin is able to stay attached in man coverage because he’s able to shift those hips and change direction well. In college he had good range over the top in zone coverages.
Nubin brings excellent position versatility, playing well both in the box and on the back end. But he’s not decisive when lined up on the back end when reacting to a running play. He’s able to keep things in front of him and can get down to the seam from a deep half. He’s instinctive and sees the whole field. Nubin is probably well suited for cover-2 schemes playing in the alley (between the corner and the edge of the formation).
In the absence of his pro day testing, I would’ve rated Nubin as a second round pick and in the Ravens’ wheelhouse. But such terrible athletic numbers just have to cause you to downgrade him. At least it does for me. Now I wonder if there’s not a fair amount of boom-or-bust to Nubin. Round 3. Ravens: No.
Malik Mustapha
Mustapha is 21.8 years old, 5’10 and 206 pounds from Wake Forest. He ran a 4.54 forty and has short arms. Mustapha had only three picks and ten passes defensed in 39 games.
Mustapha has the game of a classic strong safety, and lacks elite athletic ability. He’s not a natural playmaker. But he brings the wood down in the box and as a run defender with explosive power, and wraps up the carrier. He perfectly fires downhill. Mustapha is uber-competitive. He didn’t commit a single penalty in his career. Mustapha is not a twitchy athlete, and lacks the ability to play in the slot in man packages against quick receivers.
Mustapha is not particularly quick in coverage. He can be late. Misdirection causes him difficulties. He doesn’t offer a lot on the back end. I see Mustapha as a one-dimensional in the box defender. He’s not a good fit at this point for the Ravens. Round 5-6. Ravens: No.
Dominque Hampton
Hampton will be 24 when the season starts, is 6’2 and 213 pounds from Washington. He ran a 4.51 forty at the Combine and 4.45 on his pro day. He has long arms and a tremendous wingspan. Hampton is an excellent athlete, big, strong, and fast for a safety. He is very physical with a powerful frame and hits receivers – hard – over the middle.
Hampton never really locked down a position on the field. He’s not well suited to be a slot cover man. He does play well in tight spaces and has good range. He will compete at the catch point. Hampton was not that productive, with only two picks (both last year) in 29 starts and 15 passes defensed (nine last year). Hampton’s tape does not match up to his athletic testing. He’s an inconsistent tackler due to poor technique. He’s slower making transitions than his numbers would suggest. Hampton is fairly adept reading and reacting with the play in front of him.
Hampton is more traits than player at this point. It’s easy to see that some teams will believe they can take those traits and enhance the player. This might be right, but Hampton is almost 24 years old. He’s probably reasonable value on day three. Round 6. Ravens: Yes (if they haven’t taken a safety by then).
Jaylin Simpson
Simpson is 24 years old, 5’11 and 179 pounds from Auburn. He is fast, (he ran a 4.45 forty) with nice length. Across 22 starts over the last two years, Simpson produced seven interceptions and 21 passes defensed. Simpson has some positional flexibility at both safety and nickel. He switched from corner to safety last year, and has one year’s experience as the latter.
Simpson is fairly fluid with good hips and the ability to change direction. He is not the most physical defender given his slight frame and is not a powerful tackler. He isn’t a finisher. But he is explosive and transitions well, with excellent fluidity. He has good range. Simpson brings very good ball skills. He also possesses good timing in coverage, and can be positioned almost anywhere in the secondary. It’s hard to see him as a full-time nickel as his run tackling isn’t great. Yet, he is a good cover underneath.
Simpson needs to add some mass and he has the body to do it. This should make him a more competitive tackler, and would promote his ability to play in the slot. Combined with his cover skills, that would definitely get him on the field. Further, without that additional mass, it’s hard to see him playing man against bigger receivers.
On balance, Simpson is an interesting player. With some time in the weight room, his natural position versatility, an ability to rotate to the back end, ball-hawking talent, and natural skills in zone packages, he could make a solid addition. Round 4. Ravens: Yes (if they believe they can bulk him up).
Dadrion Taylor-Demerson
Taylor-Demerson is 23.25 years old, 5’10 and 197 pounds from Texas Tech. He ran an excellent 4.41 forty (90th percentile) but brings arms on the shorter side. Taylor-Demerson was very productive, with ten interceptions in the last three years and 33 passes defensed. He is an excellent athlete who brings top-end natural cover skills. He has a high-level understanding of what he needs to do on every play. Taylor-Demerson attacks the ball, processes information very well, and is a natural free safety-type. He is quick, fast, and explosive, and flies all over the field. He finds the football.
Taylor-Demerson offers solid tackling technique. In run support, he generally takes good angles. Taylor-Demerson reacts quickly (generally a great strength) but he is a bit susceptible to foolery; play fakes, misdirection, etc. He can get caught peeking into the backfield, particularly in zone packages, which is not uncommon for ball-hawking safeties but something that needs to be corrected. But he has good recovery speed. Given his smaller stature he’s not as hard of a hitter as you’d like. Taylor-Demerson had a good showing at the Shrine Bowl.
I don’t see Taylor-Demerson as having in-the-box capabilities. But he brings coverage versatility in different alignments, and is a good player to have on the back end. In that sense, he would be, in my view, an upgrade over what Geno Stone offered. Some might be scared off by his smaller size, and I get that. But he’s uber-productive and, in my view, a very good football player. Round 3-4. Ravens: Yes.
Calen Bullock
Bullock will turn 21 in a week. He is 6’2 and 188 pounds from USC. He ran a very good 4.48 forty and has nice length. But he is lean and could stand to add some muscle mass. Bullock had nine interceptions in 32 starts with 24 passes defensed. He’s an excellent ball-hawk.
Bullock brings very good foot quickness, is fluid and obviously fast with good acceleration. He has outstanding range and can play centerfield. He also has the ability to cover the slot. He’s young and has further room to develop. Bullock has excellent route anticipation and transitions well with good burst, showing very good change of direction skills. He can be fooled a bit too easily, something that can be improved with more experience and developed patience. But when fooled he winds up out of position.
Bullock is a hard hitter. But he doesn’t bring great run support at this point. Bullock isn’t a particularly adept tackler and is a bit too passive. This is where he could really stand to add to his frame, which he should be able to do in an NFL weight program. He needs to improve his ability to read routes.
Bullock at this point is ideally suited to be a deep safety in the NFL. He could easily take the role formerly provided by Geno Stone, and do it at a higher level as he’s a better athlete. But his tackling needs improvement. Round 3. Ravens: Yes, if they are looking for someone to take Stone’s role and no more.
Tykee Smith
Smith is 23.2 years old, 5’10 and 202 pounds from Georgia. He ran a strong 4.46 forty and brings average length. Smith had eight interceptions in his career, four of which were last year when he was credited with six passes defensed. He lacks top end acceleration. He’s very physical and strong for a smaller safety, but had some trouble tackling elusive runners.
Smith is best suited to play up towards the line of scrimmage. He clearly has some coverage shortcomings. There were numerous instances on tape where he was beaten over the top. He comports himself reasonably well on underneath routes and has good short-area burst. But he has tighish hips and just isn’t that fluid. Smith won’t be able to stay in-phase on the deep vertical routes.
I don’t really like what I see in Smith from the Ravens perspective. He’s not a versatile performer, and that’s clearly what the Ravens prefer; or at least someone who can play the back-end, which Smith is not. Round 4-5. Ravens: No.
Kitan Oladapo
Oladapo is 23.5 years old, 6’2 and 216 pounds from Oregon State. He ran a 4.58 forty and has average arm length. He has started 39 games in his career with just three interceptions (two last year) and 27 passes defensed (ten last year).
Oladapo is one of the bigger safeties in this class. He has muscle and a thick frame and brings solid strength. His long speed is a bit suspect and there were clear instances where he was trailing on vertical routes. He doesn’t have great quickness; not enough to contend with elusive slot receivers. His hips are a bit tight. He has the strength to attack the line of scrimmage and is a natural for an in-the-box safety. Oladapo just isn’t all that comfortable in space coverage. He takes good angles in run support and drives downhill.
Oladapo has a pedestrian backpedal. He’s not the greatest at diagnosing run-pass options, and isn’t particularly high-end when it comes to diagnosing responsibilities in zone coverages on the move. I don’t see him as a good fit for the Ravens at this point. Round 4-5. Ravens: No.
Beau Brade
Brade is 22.25 years old, 6’0 and 203 pounds from Maryland. He ran a very slow 4.65 forty and brings big hands but small arms. Brade had good production with three interceptions and 14 passes defensed in 25 starts.
Brade is really a strong-safety type only. He’s good at handling coverage duties in zone schemes where everything is in front of him. He should be productive on special teams. He won’t cover a lot of ground on the back end. It’s hard to see him staying attached in man coverage with his lack of speed and reactive athleticism. His range is not sufficient to stay on the back end. Brade is not great at shedding blockers; nor does he bring a lot of drive to his tackling. He’s not particularly instinctive in coverage.
I don’t see where or how Brade could help the Ravens given their current needs other than on special teams. Round 5. Ravens: No.
Evan Williams
Williams is 22.75 years old, 5’11 and 206 pounds from Oregon. He ran a slow 4.60 forty, and has below average length. Williams had four interceptions across 45 starts but zero in the last two seasons. He tested out as explosive, but lacks acceleration along with that slow speed. Williams also had only five passes defensed over those two years and has not been ball productive. Williams presents as more of a box safety-type of player. He’s effective as a pass defender in the flats and near the line.
Williams reacts quickly to his reads in run defense, triggering downhill to provide support in the run game. He plays tough and physical, and is a strong tackler. He’s smart and has been a solid blitzer. Williams is not particularly fluid and lacks agility, making it difficult to play him in space and down the field on the back end. I see him strictly as a box safety without the desired position flexibility. He should be effective on special teams. Round 5-6. Ravens: No.
Daijahn Anthony
Anthony will be 24 when the season beings. He is 6’0 and 194 pounds from Mississippi. Anthony ran a 4.55 forty and has average length. He had three interceptions last year and 11 passes defensed in his one season at Ole Miss.
Anthony offers positional versatility in both the box and as a nickel in the slot. His challenge will be playing on the back end. Anthony is tough and plays very physical. He’s aggressive. He is not particularly fluid or agile, and his recovery speed is a bit suspect. Anthony plays too tall when he’s in off man coverage, and is uncomfortable with his back to the ball. He’s better suited with the plays in front of him and attacks underneath routes effectively, trying to make a play on the ball. Anthony competes forcefully at the catch point. But without that top end speed, he’s not best suited on the top end and would need help over the top from the slot.
As a run defender he brings the juice and can plant a runner. He stays disciplined and doesn’t miss often.
There are some good qualities to Anthony’s game as he can be utilized in a variety of ways underneath, including as a nickel defender. But he is not suited to be a last defender on the back end, or even, arguably, as a split field safety. Round 5-6. Ravens: Yes.
Others: No
Jaylon Carlies
Josh Proctor
Sione Vaki
