2022 NFL Draft: S Rankings

1

Strengths

Hamilton is one of the best safety prospects in recent memory. He has the best qualities of an elite free safety, but also the best qualities of an elite downhill box safety. His range spans the entire width of the field, and he has the speed and quickness to effectively patrol it as a single high safety. Hamilton has a knack for the ball, anticipating the play early. He can fly over from across the field to break up the pass. His long length allows him to reach up or in front of the receiver to break up the pass. Ability in both zone coverage and man is excellent. Smooth backpedal and good burst to close gaps. Hamilton has experience lining up all over. In addition to the single high position, he can play in the slot, in the box, or in a two high look. He can play anywhere you need him to. In addition to having great coverage skills, he does well with the physical element of the position. Hamilton has great size and can wrap up and bring down heavy runners. His range in coverage also applies to his range in run support. He closes down quickly, and can make a play, even when coming from the opposite side. 

Weaknesses

Not a whole ton to complain about from the tape I saw. The biggest thing that did stand out to me was that he took bad angles on a few plays, which prevented him from making the tackle. It is something he’ll need to clean up in order to avoid giving up big plays. Additionally, as a bigger player, there can be a tad bit of stiffness when changing direction. Speed looks good on the field, but he did have a disappointing Combine performance, running a 4.59.

2

Strengths

Cross is a rangy, athletic safety prospect who is capable of filling a variety of rolls. His pure speed is outstanding, and he is twitchy enough to be effective in space. I like him in a single high where he can use his speed to patrol the field and eat up grass quickly to make a play on the football. That said, he is dense enough to also see time lower down near the line. When on point, his tackles don’t just bring down the ball carrier, but deliver a punishing blow in the process. Cross is a good blitzer with the speed to explode into the backfield, sometimes surprising the QB. He has the talent to play man to man as well, with some more development.

Weaknesses

I would say that Cross still is developing the mental aspect of his game. He could stand to take better angles, both in pass coverage and in run support. Poor angles have led to plays going for more yards than they should have. As well, his tackling technique can be inconsistent. Cross has talent to play in man coverage, but he still needs some work. Instincts are developing, and at this moment, I’m not as confident in his ability to shut down opponents.

3

Strengths

Hill is an athletic safety prospect who saw a lot of time in the slot in college. His speed is what immediately stands out. He is a very explosive player, and can close gaps in a hurry. For this reason, I like him best in zone where he is able to hunt down the ball. His ball skills are good, and he has the length to make a play on it regularly. For a leaner guy, he is a pretty hard hitter. Hill shows some ability in man coverage, and with his speed, he is able to run with the fastest opponents. 

Weaknesses

Hill has a leaner frame, which can be an issue when facing stronger players. If he continues to see time in the slot, he’ll run into “big slot” receivers, who might prove to be a mismatch. Despite the speed, I was disappointed with some of his reps in the slot. Quicker receivers are capable of turning him inside out and creating more separation than what is ideal. He shows ability in run support, but was a bit inconsistent.

4

Strengths

Brisker is a free safety prospect with pretty good range and athleticism. Speed and quickness are both solid and he has the ability to sit as a single high. I thought he showed some improvements with his instincts, and he became more decisive. Brisker put some nice plays on tape where he would track the ball over the middle of the field and step in front of the intended target to make a play on the ball. His size and length are both good. Nothing crazy, but he is capable of making plays against the run. He looks like a pretty sure tackler.

Weaknesses

Instincts showed improvement, but I think there is still some work that can be done in this area. He still bit on some fakes, and bad angles were present in his tape. While he is a solid athlete, he is not at that elite level, meaning that if he does end up out of position, it can be tougher to recover. Brisker is decent in man coverage, but there are still times where he gives up a bit more separation than I would like.

5

Strengths

Cine is an athletic player who makes his presence known down low. Speed and quickness is evident, and he can close gaps in a hurry. Cine, when he picks up speed, can deliver a punishing blow, and never shies away from contact. For the most part, he is a sure tackler. He shows potential in coverage. His quickness has flashed when lined up in coverage from the slot. As well, he has the speed to play as a single high safety in coverage. His combination of speed and length gives him the ability to shut down opposing TE’s. 

Weaknesses

Cine plays a fast paced, downhill game and he makes a lot of tackles. That said, I think he will need to add some bulk to his frame to remain fully effective in this role. While he is good at getting the ball carrier on the ground, the ball carrier is often able to fight his way forward for a few extra yards. This can be big if it is near the first down marker. Instincts and ball skills are a work in progress. He definitely has the speed to shine in coverage, but he doesn’t have that knack for the ball that you would like to see.

6

Strengths

Pitre is a versatile downhill safety. He spent a lot of time in the box where he used his good instincts to make plays against the run. He has the speed to go from sideline to sideline in pursuit of the ball carrier. Pitre is a good tackler when he makes contact, and he has the willingness to go into the dirty areas to make a play. He has experience being used in the slot, and his traits project favourably in zone coverage. His quickness allows him to react in time, and he has the closing speed to limit yards after the catch. 

Weaknesses

Pitre would benefit from getting a bit stronger, as it would better suit his downhill playing style. In run support, there were instances of overrunning his target, which put the responsibility to his teammates to make up for the mistake. As a tackler, his technique can come and go. He needs to be more consistent wrapping up, as opposed to going in without much control. Pitre doesn’t have a ton of experience playing as a single high safety, and will likely spend a lot more time down low. He is not as versatile as a coverage safety. And while he did see time in the slot, I wouldn’t say that he is someone I would want covering receivers man to man. 

7

Strengths

Cook is a big and long SS prospect who is able to bring an element of physicality to the football field. He plays a rugged downhill style that is ideal for stopping the run. His motor is always running and he is quick to come down low to make a play on the ball carrier. Cook is definitely someone who can see his fair share of snaps in the box. He has the length to break passes up. Solid in zone coverage and he plays with good decisiveness. 

Weaknesses

Cook is a little bit lacking in terms of athleticism. He isn’t someone I would want in a heavy man coverage role. He is capable of playing in man from time to time, but he lacks the top end speed and quickness to consistently blanket in coverage. Athletic TE’s and slot receivers have the ability to get behind him. Technique as a tackler can be inconsistent, and he won’t always wrap up, instead opting to hit with the shoulder. This increases the risk of missed tackles.

8

Strengths

Woods has the tools to develop into a top safety in the league. He has blazing straight line speed and the ability to come from across the field to pick off passes. His ball skills are good and he is able to secure the interception, as opposed to just settling for a pass breakup. Woods has a big frame and can also be an asset as a run defender. He is very willing to go downhill, and likes to deliver a big hit. His length gives him the ability to wrap up and secure tackles. In zone, his burst is a great asset, as he can undercut routes, or close in fast to limit yards after the catch.

Weaknesses

Woods has great upside, but is very raw mentally. His game is very erratic and uncontrolled. He bites often, going for the big play, as opposed to the smart play. This often lands him out of position in coverage and the offence is able to capitalise with a big play. The same goes for his run support. His angles are all over the place, and his tackling technique is very inconsistent. Woods often opts to go for the big hit, using bad technique, as opposed to squaring up and wrapping up.

9

Strengths

Joseph is a smooth free safety prospect who exploded onto the scene this past year. He has shown good ball skills and the ability to finish off plays and create turnovers. His change of direction skills are good and he is able to reposition his body to face the ball carrier and make the tackle. Form as a tackler is solid, and he usually wraps the ball carrier. Size and length are both decent enough to serve as assets in run defence.

Weaknesses

Joseph only had one year of actual production, and the classic question will emerge of whether he is a one year wonder, or if it is foreshadowing similar improvement down the line. He is a smooth athlete, but his burst and straight line speed doesn’t move the needle for me. He can be a bit slow to navigate across the field, and his instincts are still developing, which also slows him down. He is solid against the run, but he doesn’t have that aggressiveness that I have seen in a lot of other players in this class.

10

Strengths

Turner-Yell is a solid all around safety. He spent a lot of time down low, and he has the size and ability to make tackles close to the line. He is a pretty hard hitter and he uses good technique most of the time. Turner-Yell is also pretty solid in coverage. He sees the field well in zone. Speed is good to make plays on the ball and close in on receivers that have made the catch. His backpedal is smooth and he is capable of covering a good amount of ground. Can be a guy that has success moving all around the field.

Weaknesses

Turner-Yell is a solid all around player, but I wouldn’t say he has any elite qualities. Speed is solid, but he looks a bit stiff when moving laterally. This can slow him down both in coverage and in pursuit of the RB. He is still developing his instincts in coverage, and isn’t immune to play action fakes. He’ll bite and end up out of position. As well, he can take some bad angles when playing the run. Due to the stiffness, I don’t think I would want him in man coverage on a consistent basis. Quicker receivers and TE’s can burn him for a big gain. 

11

Strengths

Anderson is a smooth athlete. He is able to navigate his way around the field, and redirect his positioning when in pursuit of the ball carrier. He moved around a lot, spending time in the box, up high, and in the slot. Size/strength are good, and he has the length to wrap up the ball carrier. Anderson is committed to helping out in the run game, often coming down from up high to either keep the ball carrier contained, or bring him down himself. The Toledo product tested well at the Combine, which will likely improve his draft stock.

Weaknesses

Anderson plays well in the downhill aspects, but didn’t look very impressive in coverage. In terms of pure speed, I don’t think the tape quite matched his testing. Further, he lacks the instincts and ball skills to be a consistent force in coverage. In man, he can get grabby as the route progresses, which can lead to penalties. Further, his footwork is often sloppy and he can give up too much separation.

12

Strengths

Monday is a hard hitting safety. You perhaps could say that he wants all the smoke. He is a force in run support when he lines up down low in the box. He hunts down the ball carrier and is a good tackler. Not only does he make these plays in front of the line, but he finds his way into the backfield to make tackles for a loss. Monday had some clutch interceptions for Auburn. High character, high effort player. You can see he wants to win.

Weaknesses

Monday is very limited athletically, and doesn’t project favourably in coverage situations, despite the interceptions in college. His backpedal is slow, and he doesn’t have the speed to cross the field to break up passes. Additionally, he is stiff in the hips and can get in trouble when he has to change directions. Instincts in coverage aren’t great, and he bites on several fakes.