Updated 2025 safety preview … The safeties were shut out of the first round in both of the past two drafts; indeed, the first player at the position selected in both 2023 and 2024 wasn’t taken until the middle of the second round. That could change this year, though, as Georgia All-American Malaki Starks is currently rated as a mid-first round candidate with top 15-20 potential. Starks is a well-built 6-1, 205-pounder with CB speed – he had a PB under 10.6 in the 100M in high school – who attacks the run like a LB and covers more like a CB. There is something of a drop to the next tier of safeties, although Kevin Winston of Penn State, a rising 3rd year junior who like Starks has sprinter speed, could get some late opening round consideration. At the same time, there is a relatively large group of solid second-tier S prospects with second-day potential including Xavier Watts of Notre, the reigning FBS DPOY who picked off 7 passes last fall, Iowa’s Xavier Nwankpa, Andrew Mukuba, now at Texas, Malachi Moore of Alabama, Billy Bowman of Oklahoma, Michigan’s Rod Moore. Shilo Sanders, the ‘other’ Sanders at Colorado, and Major Burns of LSU. Here is our updated ranking of the top safety prospects for the 2025 draft..
