2023 NFL Draft Safeties
They come in all different shapes in sizes
The Dez Rankings (How good the safeties will be in 5 years):
Brian Branch
Antonio Johnson
Jammie Robinson
Sydney Brown
BRIAN BRANCH:
Combine:
Overall Notes:
6’0, 190lbs. Brian Branch is a very versatile player and will make a huge impact in the NFL. Although Branch is slightly undersized and is a little bit on the lighter side, Branch is a great run defender and constantly makes plays when he plays on the line of scrimmage. Branch is solid at shedding blocks by TEs or RBs because he has nice strength and produces great knockback. Branch can also maneuver and slide around offensive linemen due to his quick first step, and all in all, Branch is always blowing up run plays behind the line of scrimmage with his strength or clogging up running lanes by sliding around blockers. Branch is also an incredible tackler because he does a great job of wrapping up ball carriers and then halting their momentum and pummeling them into the ground. In coverage, Branch is alright but has a couple of major flaws. Branch has great reaction time, quick close-out abilities, and reads the QB’s eyes nicely. Branch also has great instincts and is able to hunt the football really well. Branch makes plays from sideline to sideline and is almost shot out of cannon when he comes down field in order to tackle a ball carrier. However, Branch lacks athleticism and speed which are major issues and liabilities when Branch is in coverage. Branch is only 190lbs. and ran a disappointing 4.58sec. 40-yard dash. Branch also only generated a 6.10 RAS score. As a result of Branch’s below average athleticism, Branch really struggles when playing deep in coverage and guarding routes over the middle because Branch can’t keep up with receivers at full speed. Branch also doesn’t have very twitchy hips and falls a step behind receivers that make cuts or breaks because he can’t change his direction fast enough. In addition, Branch isn’t that physical with receivers because of his small frame and Branch can easily get bullied by bigger or stronger players. Branch also isn’t great at breaking up the ball at the catch point, and Branch can get boxed out by receivers. All in all, Branch’s impact in the running game is incredible and he possesses great instincts with solid coverage abilities. His athleticism and lack-luster size will lower his stock a lot. Early-mid 1st round production and traits but 3rd round combination of athleticism and size. Should be a mid 1st rounder like how Kyle Hamilton was last year but his athleticism is worrisome.
PROS:
Great play recognition
Very good tackler
Flies up the field and makes a play
Very strong
Able to rush the QB and maneuver around blockers
Quick - great first step
Versatile - can play as a slot corner, in the box, deep in coverage
Reads QB’s eyes nicely
Has good close-out abilities
Solid run defender
Pretty good in coverage
Quick reaction time
Passes off receivers in zone coverage nicely
Does a good job of wrapping up ball carriers
Fights through blockers
CONS:
Not the best athlete
Small - height and weight
Not the best speed
Plays a little hesitant
Plays soft in coverage
Doesn’t get his head around in coverage
Doesn’t have great change of direction abilities
Not good at deep coverage
Not great at the catch point
COMP: Ceiling - CJ Gardner Johnson / Floor - Mike Edwards
FILM LINKS:
@ Texas 2022 -
@ Auburn 2021 -
@ LSU 2022 -
ANTONIO JOHNSON:
Combine:
Overall Notes:
6’2, 198lbs. Antonio Johnson is a very versatile player and is like a swiss army knife. Johnson can play in the box and sniff out run plays or slide around blockers and rush the passer, in coverage, Johnson can cover slot receivers 1on1, outphysical big receivers on the outside, or Johnson can also play over the top and in a deep zone. Johnson is a player who a lot of teams would love to have because you can use him on any down, any distance, and at any time. Johnson had a pretty disappointing combine as he ran an alright 4.52second 40-yard dash and generated a lackluster 5.24 RAS score. However, Johnson plays at a faster speed because of his great instincts. Johnson’s instincts are apparent when he is in coverage more than in run defense. Johnson has great route recognition and then uses his quick close-out and change of direction abilities to constantly undercut a receiver’s route or break up a pass. Johnson is also great in zone coverage because he reads the QB’s eyes nicely, passes off receivers, and does a great job at sinking or climbing up in coverage in order to disrupt throwing lanes. However, Johnson’s speed is not great and receivers are able to create consistent separation from Johnson by running away from him. Johnson has also been burned over the top sometimes because he isn’t super twitchy and can’t accelerate fast enough to stay with receivers. Johnson posted high tackle totals over the last 2 seasons, but don’t let the numbers confuse you, Johnson is not that great of a run defender and struggles a little bit as a tackler. Johnson fails to wrap up ball carriers and as a result, ball carriers can always churn out extra yards or shrug off Johnson. Johnson also has trouble breaking off blockers and gets constantly sealed off on run plays. As a plus, Johnson is pretty good at rushing the passer and constantly slides around chip blocks. All in all, Johnson’s versatility and instincts are very unique to him and will keep his stock high, but Johnson’s athleticism, poor tackling abilities, and bad Combine are massive red flags. It will take a great system for Johnson to really succeed in the NFL but I think he will be fairly average while still making a solid impact because of his versatility. 2nd round player and I wouldn’t be surprised if he went late 1st or fell to the 3rd round.
PROS:
Great route recognition
Reads receiver’s hips nicely
Good recovery abilities
Quick close-out
Great instincts
Good change of direction abilities
Makes plays sideline to sideline
Physical at the catch point
Alright pass defender
Very good at rushing the passer
Slides away from blockers
Versatile - can play in the box, lineup in man coverage, play deep over the top
Reads the QB’s eyes nicely
CONS:
Not the best athlete
Not very strong
Doesn’t accelerate quickly
Not very twitchy
Doesn’t halt momentum
Not a great tackler
Fails to wrap up ball carriers a lot
Not a major factor in the run game
Can get turned around by receivers
Could be a better pass defender - speed is an issue
COMP: Ceiling - Jevon Holland / Floor - Jalen Pitre
FILM LINKS:
Vs Arkansas 2022 -
Vs Alabama 2021 -
Vs Arkansas 2021 -
SYDNEY BROWN:
Combine:
Overall Notes:
5’9, 211lbs. Sydney Brown is the most athletic safety in this class but that is about it. Brown ran an incredible 4.47sec. 40-yard dash, had a 40.5in. vertical jump which was in the 99th percentile for safeties, and had 23 reps on the bench press which is in the 95th percentile for safeties. Brown is very good in man coverage and uses his speed, change of direction abilities, quick burst, and twitchy hips to react and recover from any cut or break by a receiver. As a result, because speedy/quick receivers couldn’t run away from Brown, teams would try and exploit Brown’s biggest issue which is his height. Teams would constantly line up their TE or biggest receiver against Brown in order to create a massive height and weight mismatch. TEs would try and box out Brown, but Brown is very strong and weighs the most out of any safety in this class at 211lbs. which means bigger receivers can’t just force separation against Brown by knocking him around. Furthermore, if the QB tried high-pointing the throw and wanted the tight end to jump up and catch the ball, Brown would use his great vertical jump to go up with the tight end and disrupt him at the catch point. Brown’s height is a worry, but his athletic abilities and strength will make it hard for bigger NFL receivers to bully Brown and force separation but also Brown has the speed and twitchiness to blanket and cover smaller/quicker receivers. Brown’s frame does play a huge role in his tackling abilities. Brown had a FBS high 15.4% missed tackled rate amongst safeties last year because he is too small to wrap up ball carriers. As a result, ball carriers are able to churn out extra yards and run through Brown. Blockers can also easily flatten and seal Brown off in the run game as well. All in all, Brown should play as a slot corner 95% of the time because his tackling abilities are awful. Brown does possess rare strength and athleticism which will allow him to be a dynamic defender against the pass and will help lessen the extremity of Brown’s mismatches against NFL receivers who are bigger and stronger than Brown. Mid-late 2nd round abilities and production and size will drop him to the 3rd round.
PROS:
Very athletic
40.5 inch. vertical jump
Very fast
Clogs up running lanes
Very strong
Jams receivers at the top of their routes
Very physical at the catch point
Good close-out abilities
Reads QB’s eyes nicely
Quick burst
Twitchy hips
Good change of direction abilities
CONS:
Very undersized
Gets boxed out
Awful tackler
Isn’t very versatile
Gets pushed around by blockers
Gets shedded a lot
Can’t wrap up ball carriers
Can’t halt momentum
COMP: Ceiling - Antoine Winfield Jr. / Floor - Andrew Adams
FILM LINKS:
Vs Wyoming 2022 -
Vs Chattanooga 2022 -
Vs Minnesota 2022 -
JAMMIE ROBINSON:
Combine:
Overall Notes:
5’10, 195lbs. Jammie Robinson is a very raw player but has a pretty high ceiling because of his versatility. Robinson is a force as a run defender and constiently blows up quick hitting passing plays by using his great strength to pummel blockers out in space. Robinson also has great instincts with quick reaction time which allows him to sniff out misdirection or screen passes and make plays from sideline to sideline. Robinson is also an incredible tackler and halts a ball carrier’s momentum by consistently wrapping them up and then using his strength to pummel them into the ground. In coverage, Robinson is extremely raw because of his bad footwork. Robinson seems to never have control of himself and is always tripping over himself, and as a result, Robinson isn’t able to quickly flip his hips or change his direction. Robinson also had a pretty bad Combine as he ran a really slow 4.59sec. 40-yard dash and generated a piss-poor 4.89 RAS score. Therefore because Robinson isn’t able to catch up to receivers due to his lack of speed, and Robinson can’t cleanly flip his hips or change his direction, Robinson is constantly trailing receivers. Robinson also isn’t that physical when receivers make cuts or breaks because if he fails to stun them, receivers are able to easily run away from Robinson and create separation. However I think because Robinson’s footwork is so clunky, teams could develop him and fix his footwork which would make Robinson a much better defender against the pass. Robinson is great in zone coverage because he is able to read the QB’s eyes and then use his quick reaction time to close-out on the receiver and make a play on the ball. Robinson is also great at sinking and closing in on receivers which closes passing lanes and disrupts the QB’s reads. All in all, Robinson’s ability to impact and blow up the run/quick hitting passes will make a very valuable piece for some teams. Teams will have to groom Robinson to make him a great player in the NFL and it will be hard because of his lackluster athleticism. 2nd round player with 1st round upside. Should be taken in the mid-late 2nd.
PROS:
Solid instincts
Closes in on the ball quickly
Good tackler
Wraps up ball carriers nicely
Halts momentum - able to stand up ball carriers
Has good reaction time
Very strong
Runs through blockers out in space
Able to blow up plays behind the line
Sinks and closes in on passing lanes
Versatile - plays deep, in the box, or can guard in the slot
Picks up and passes off receivers nicely
CONS:
Very bad footwork
Doesn’t have great body control
A little hesitant in coverage
Isn’t very physical when receivers make cuts
Slow for a defensive back
Doesn’t flip his hips quickly
Doesn’t accelerate fast enough
Stares into the backfield sometimes - gets moved by QB’s eyes
Bites on play action sometimes
COMP: Ceiling - Justin Simmons / Floor - Jeff Heath
FILM LINKS:
Vs NC State 2021 -
Vs Clemson 2022 -
@ LSU 2022 -