2026 NFL Draft · Safety
2026 NFL Draft Safety Rankings
All 36 ranked safetys in the 2026 class, with where each was drafted and how the position moved.
How the safety group broke
We ranked 36 safetys in the 2026 class. 19 were drafted: 2 in the first round, 6 across Day 2, and 11 on Day 3. 17 went undrafted entirely.
The first safety off the board was Caleb Downs at No. 11 to Cowboys, out of Ohio State, our 1st-ranked safety.
Where the tiers broke
Tiers are easier to see after the fact than before it. The clearest way to find them is the longest stretches where nobody took one, which mark where the league collectively decided the quality had stepped down.
- 52 picks passed between Lorenzo Styles Jr. at No. 172 and Robert Spears-Jennings at No. 224.
- 31 picks passed between Jalen Huskey at No. 100 and Genesis Smith at No. 131.
- 20 picks passed between Treydan Stukes at No. 38 and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren at No. 58.
2026 Safety rankings
Ranked within the position. Overall rank is the player's slot on the 2026 consensus big board.
| S Rank | Player | School | Overall | Pick | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | Caleb Downs | Ohio State | 4 | 11 | Cowboys |
| S2 | Dillon Thieneman | Oregon | 18 | 25 | Bears |
| S3 | Emmanuel McNeil-Warren | Toledo | 22 | 58 | Browns |
| S4 | AJ Haulcy | LSU | 55 | 78 | Colts |
| S5 | Treydan Stukes | Arizona | 66 | 38 | Raiders |
| S6 | Kamari Ramsey | USC | 75 | 141 | Texans |
| S7 | Zakee Wheatley | Penn State | 77 | 151 | Panthers |
| S8 | Genesis Smith | Arizona | 81 | 131 | Chargers |
| S9 | Bud Clark | TCU | 100 | 64 | Seahawks |
| S10 | Jalon Kilgore | South Carolina | 103 | 167 | Bills |
| S11 | V.J. Payne | Kansas State | 147 | 228 | Jets |
| S12 | Michael Taaffe | Texas | 164 | 158 | Dolphins |
| S13 | Louis Moore | Indiana | 175 | Undrafted | - |
| S14 | Robert Spears-Jennings | Oklahoma | 201 | 224 | Steelers |
| S15 | Jakobe Thomas | Miami | 204 | 98 | Vikings |
| S16 | Xavier Nwankpa | Iowa | 210 | Undrafted | - |
| S17 | Bishop Fitzgerald | USC | 212 | Undrafted | - |
| S18 | Cole Wisniewski | Texas Tech | 231 | 244 | Eagles |
| S19 | Jalen Huskey | Maryland | 244 | 100 | Jaguars |
| S20 | Dalton Johnson | Arizona | 256 | 150 | Raiders |
| S21 | Jalen Stroman | Notre Dame | 257 | Undrafted | - |
| S22 | Lorenzo Styles Jr. | Ohio State | 263 | 172 | Saints |
| S23 | DeShon Singleton | Nebraska | 270 | Undrafted | - |
| S24 | Wydett Williams Jr. | Ole Miss | 311 | Undrafted | - |
| S25 | Skyler Thomas | Oregon State | 315 | Undrafted | - |
| S26 | Miles Scott | Illinois | 317 | 246 | Broncos |
| S27 | Devan Boykin | Indiana | 319 | Undrafted | - |
| S28 | Jacob Thomas | James Madison | 322 | Undrafted | - |
| S29 | Kapena Gushiken | Ole Miss | 330 | Undrafted | - |
| S30 | Isaiah Nwokobia | SMU | 340 | Undrafted | - |
| S31 | Ahmaad Moses | SMU | 404 | Undrafted | - |
| S32 | Daylan Carnell | Missouri | 407 | Undrafted | - |
| S33 | Duce Chestnut | Syracuse | 430 | Undrafted | - |
| S34 | DQ Smith | South Carolina | 434 | Undrafted | - |
| S35 | Austin Brown | Wisconsin | 437 | Undrafted | - |
| S36 | Myles Rowser | Arizona State | 438 | Undrafted | - |
More on this position
How the draft market prices safetys: the evergreen breakdown of positional value, evaluation criteria and the failure mode that recurs here.
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