2017 class · 24 prospects

Safety S

Tackles + PBUs + speed + Senior Bowl. The bust model is weakest at safety — treat predictions as directional.

Likeliest career, by the outcome model.

How many safeties land in each career bucket as the model's single most likely finish. This is a different question from the board grades below — a prospect can be a Day 3 grade and still have “starter” as his likeliest outcome. The tails (elite, bust) are where the model separates; the middle two buckets sit close to a coin flip.

Elite
2
Pro-Bowl-caliber career
Starter
14
Multi-year NFL starter
Role
8
Rotational / depth
Bust
0
Nobody here busts as his likeliest outcome — individual risk still varies, see the rows below
Likeliest career across the S class
Elite
2
Starter
14
Role
8
Bust
0

The board.

All 24 safeties with a draftable grade on Draftanomics's 2017 board, tier by tier.

Blue Chip1 player

Only Malik Hooker carries a blue-chip grade at safety — the Ohio St. product projects No. 4 overall. Barely a seam here — Jamal Adams comes off just 3 picks later.

4
Malik Hooker
Ohio St.· 6'1" · 206 lb· consensus #5
A blue-chip grade with the room in agreement — consensus No. 5.
Blue Chip
bust risk 2%
1st Round7 players

The first-round tier runs 7 deep, opening with Jamal Adams out of LSU at No. 7 and closing with Desmond King at No. 32. Barely a seam here — Justin Evans comes off just 8 picks later. Inside the tier, the model's fight is Nathan Gerry: it says No. 29, the room says No. 155.

7
Jamal Adams
LSU· 6'0" · 214 lb· consensus #2
A first-round grade with the room in agreement — consensus No. 2.
1st Round
bust risk 0%
19
Jabrill Peppers
Michigan· 5'11" · 213 lb· consensus #27
A first-round grade with the room in agreement — consensus No. 27.
1st Round
bust risk 5%
25
Budda Baker
Washington· 5'10" · 195 lb· consensus #34
A first-round grade with the room in agreement — consensus No. 34.
1st Round
bust risk 4%
26
Marcus Williams
Utah· 6'1" · 202 lb· consensus #57
A first-round grade the room hasn't caught up to — consensus No. 57.
1st Round
bust risk 7%
28
Obi Melifonwu
Connecticut· 6'4" · 224 lb· consensus #40
A first-round grade with the room in agreement — consensus No. 40.
1st Round
bust risk 39%
29
Nathan Gerry
Nebraska· consensus #155
A first-round grade the room hasn't caught up to — consensus No. 155.
1st Round
bust risk 0%
32
Desmond King
Iowa· 5'10" · 201 lb· consensus #74
A first-round grade the room hasn't caught up to — consensus No. 74.
1st Round
bust risk 6%
Day 25 players

This is where the class lives: 5 safetys carry a Day 2 grade, with Justin Evans out of Texas A&M at the front of the line at No. 40 overall. No cliff at the bottom, either: Eddie Jackson is 6 projected picks behind Hill. Inside the tier, the model's fight is Justin Evans: it says No. 40, the room says No. 75.

40
Justin Evans
Texas A&M· 6'0" · 199 lb· consensus #75
A Day 2 grade the room hasn't caught up to — consensus No. 75.
Day 2
bust risk 4%
68
Josh Jones
North Carolina St.· consensus #87
A Day 2 grade the room hasn't caught up to — consensus No. 87.
Day 2
bust risk 0%
Day 311 players

The Day 3 tier runs 11 deep, opening with Eddie Jackson out of Alabama at No. 111 and closing with Rudy Ford at No. 247. The room is higher on Josh Harvey-Clemons than we are: consensus No. 47 to our No. 208.