2018 Draft Pre-Season Positional Rankings: Safeties

Written by Christian Lysek

S Top Ten and First Look:

1. Derwin James, Florida State

2. Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama
3. Ronnie Harrison, Alabama
4. Van Smith, Clemson
5. Godwin Igwebuike, Northwestern
6. Marcus Allen, Penn State
7. Kyzir White, West Virginia (shown right)
8. Armani Watts, Texas A&M
9. Quin Blanding, Virginia
10. Jordan Whitehead, Pitt

The 2017 safety class was rare. It was full of high end talent and went so deep that starters could be found on day three. The 2018 class features an elite top three, but the rest of the class is playing catch up. Headlining the top three is Derwin James, who by all means a freak. Physically imposing at 6'3'' and 211 pounds, James is a tremendous hitter who aims to punish. He is coming off of a torn meniscus, but judging by his 2017 debut against Alabama, I couldn't even tell. He excels both against the run and in coverage and is a top ten player on my board. Next on the list is Minkah Fitzpatrick, the Crimson Tide's best defensive player. Fitzpatrick is a smooth athlete with the speed and agility to play both corner and safety. Add in his ball skills (6 picks, 7 pass deflections in 2016) and his ability to support the run, (66 tackles, 5.5 TFLs in 2016), and Fitzpatrick is only behind James by the smallest of margins. Playing alongside of Fitzpatrick is Ronnie Harrison, one of the meanest men in all of College Football. Harrison is an enforcer in the running game and plays well in both man and zone coverage. He is a first round talent in my eyes. Van Smith is one of the Clemson Tigers most unknown players, but he is also one of their better ones. The 5'11'', 195 pound safety racked up 96 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 2 picks in 2016, demonstrating a well-rounded skill set that will make him a high draft pick. Godwin Igwebuike is a sleeper pick for many analysts, but I think he demonstrates a wider arrange of skills than several other safeties in this draft. Igwebuike is physical against the run and is good at reading the quarterback's eyes in coverage. I really like Igwebuike and think he could be a top-100 player.

Marcus Allen is a box safety, and a damn good one at that. Allen racked up 110 tackles and 6 TFLs in 2016, playing a huge role in Penn State's defense. I would like to see him perform better in coverage (0 career interceptions), but I still believe he is a top-100 talent. Kyzir White is the latest in a long line of hard-hitting safeties from West Virginia. He is an explosive run defender who flies to the ball and crushes runners. Like Allen, he needs to improve in coverage, but he will make a good box safety in the pros. Armani Watts has been starting since he was a freshman for the Aggies, but his draft stock is all over the map. Watts is good in coverage with 6 career picks, but until he learns to tackle better, he will stay down my list. It's hard to be the last line of defense when you whiff on every tackle. Quin Blanding has the opposite issue of Watts. Blanding excels against the run, but he doesn't have the best athleticism, and it shows in pass coverage. This doesn't break his stock, but it does limit his upside. Jordan Whitehead is a fearless run defender and shows good instincts in coverage, but he is undersized at 5'10'' and 190 pounds and he has been suspended for the first three weeks of the season. He needs to have a really standout season to rise up my board.

Match-ups to Watch:

Penn State vs Northwestern, October 7th
This will be one of the top safety matchups of the year. Clayton Thorson is a sleeper quarterback for this year, and I will be intrigued to see how Marcus Allen plays in coverage against him. Godwin Igwebuike is a good safety prospect, and this matchup will have a huge impact on whether he stays high on my board.

Clemson vs Auburn, September 9th
Van Smith will get his first real test of the season against Jarrett Stidham and Kamryn Pettway. A big game from him will skyrocket his stock.

Virginia vs. Penn State, October 28th
This is box safety vs box safety with Quin Blanding and Marcus Allen. The question is whether or not either player can excel in coverage.

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