The term "shot out of a cannon" was created for guys like Malik Mustapha. When he makes up his mind to trigger, he's going as fast as he can in that direction and looking to lay a hit on someone. He's a rangy post safety and played in a Cover Three and Cover One look often for the 49ers defense as the lead communicator. His aggression will take him away from his responsibilities and lead to missed tackles, but they've collected this type of player in San Francisco for a reason. He can blitz, create tackles for loss, and jar the ball loose with collisions. A truly fun player to watch move on a football field.

After an impressive career trajectory in Miami, Jevon Holland's transition to the Giants' defense last season was rougher. He was thinking too much, playing in more static coverage looks, and didn't look as comfortable as a weapon. His man coverage tools, instincts, and versatility are all still there, but it didn't look like his skills were utilized in his best interests. Holland was a step late to trigger from deeper zones, and the ball production dipped on top of it. There will be a new culture and defense in New York this season, and hopefully, we'll see the return of the instinctual playmaker Holland can be.

One of the Patriots' emerging young talents last season, Craig Woodson, was an excellent run-support and tackling defender in their secondary. His downhill trigger and underneath zone feel contributed to three passes defensed and four tackles for loss while limiting yards after the catch with stopping power. Still developing his route recognition and man coverage tools, Woodson looked hesitant in coverage at times last year, but he continued to get better as the season went on and played his best football in the postseason. He racked up six passes defensed, an interception, and another four tackles for loss on their way to a Super Bowl appearance.

Aside from a toe injury that forced Hooker to miss six games last season, he was a steady presence in a not-so-steady defense in Dallas. Hooker is one of the best run-supporting safeties in the NFL with great play recognition, and he sorts through trash at a high level. There were times during coverage when he second-guessed himself and fell off the intended route, but his variety of coverage remains high, and he does a good job handling rotations and disguises. The secondary in Dallas will be revamped going forward, which should help Hooker return to his disruptive ways if healthy.

Cross is one of the best box safeties in the league with quick, downhill movements and block recognition to be a real playmaker against the run. He fights through blocks on the move and can cause havoc in the backfield with his click-and-close ability, which also makes him an adept blitzer. He racked up 15 pressures and two and a half tackles to go with 46 stops and five tackles for loss last season. While he still provides decent coverage tools and instincts to a defense, his best attributes show up closer to the action.

While he's listed as a safety, you wouldn't know that just by watching his film. Tre'von Moehrig lines up everywhere on defense, and according to NFLPro, "is one of just 11 defenders this season to log at least 50 defensive snaps when aligned on the line of scrimmage (73 snaps), off-ball linebacker (275), slot cornerback (242), and safety (344)." In coverage, he's used more in the intermediate area, which limits the big plays given up and maximizes his trigger quickness to create tackles for loss (14 on the season). He struggled to guard tight ends and receivers in man coverage and missed tackles, but he was impactful in every game for the Panthers last season.

Ar'Darius Washington is a polarizing figure due to his limited reps before 2024, his breakout season, and an injury last year. What do we do with him? Well, it's simple. The tape is littered with fantastic reps, explosive plays, and an instinctual player who flies around the field. He's listed as a safety, but his best role is playing over the middle of the field as a robber or at the nickel spot. He played 61 snaps over the last month of the season and now lands with the Giants, whose secondary needs help. If Washington is fully healthy, he could help turn around that defense in a hurry.

Not known for his rangy playmaking, Kamren Curl played over 700 reps at free safety for the Rams and is a top-down enforcer. He can play like a linebacker when the Rams go to their Dime package and defends the run with physicality and sure tackling. More of a reactionary defender against the pass, Curl takes excellent angles downhill and closes on the ball carrier to limit yards after the catch. He brings havoc-creating talent to the line of scrimmage as well, recording two tackles for loss, six pressures, and two sacks in 2025. Curl earned the extension he got from the Rams with some spectacular plays in the postseason to close out last season.

One of the surprises of last season is Antonio Johnson and his nine passes defensed and five interceptions for a Jaguars defense that found itself down the stretch. He's an excellent tackler and a safety valve for a defense with good traffic navigation skills to close on routes underneath. Johnson reads route concepts well but tends to hesitate when he sees a route break over the middle of the field; the instincts are there, which lead to the aforementioned ball production. With another year in Anthony Campanile's defense, the path forward to develop even further is in front of Johnson.

Cook leveraged a breakout season in 2025 to a nice contract from the Bengals, who need steady play from the position. He was an excellent run defender and tackler, showcasing top-tier box ability even from a single high alignment, but also showed improved coverage ability on the back end. Cook drove down on in-breakers, carried deep receivers well, and handled tight ends in man coverage at a high level. He's not the most instinctual player at safety, but he's a reliable all-around defender who brings a physicality and workman's attitude to the room.

The ageless wonder that is Tony Jefferson had a great season for the Chargers at age 33. He played roughly 63% of the defensive snaps and still produced seven passes defensed and four interceptions while playing predominantly as the free safety for Jesse Minter's defense. His football IQ, instincts, and ball skills were routinely on display, and he made some incredible plays. He only allowed 205 yards on 25 targets with zero touchdowns scored. He's not someone a defense wants in man coverage at this stage and is more of a coverage-only rotational safety, but the willingness to be a physical presence is still all there for Jefferson.

With as much talent as there is on the Eagles defense, it's hard to say Andrew Mukuba didn't fall into a great situation, but he also elevated their floor and ceiling. Unfortunately, he fractured an ankle in Week 12, missing the rest of the season, but the impact he left on the defense was felt. A better run support player than most would have guessed with his slighter frame, Mukuba diagnosed plays quickly and got downhill for defensive stops. His feel for zone and instincts helped take away multiple routes, but he needs to improve his angles in pursuit to miss fewer tackles. He'll be a welcome sight in Eagles camp this summer.

The leading communicator in the Browns' backfield is Ronnie Hickman, and he lives on top of the defense. He shows excellent range and recovery skills, along with instincts that keep him around the football at every stop. Hickman has a great feel for zone spacing and depth and can buzz down underneath to take away routes or the football. Despite reading out plays and being around the football, he does struggle to tackle in space and isn't someone you want manning up most of the time, but he fits right at home in his role in Cleveland's secondary.

Getting on the field as a third-round rookie is one thing, but starting 16 games in the process is impressive. Jonas Sanker lived on top of the Saints' defense last season and showed legit range, play recognition, and run support that earned the staff's trust quickly. It allowed veteran S Justin Reid to float around the defense and play more in the box while Sanker took away deep opportunities from the offense. He made some plays on the ball and showed off man coverage skills that could see him take over for Alontae Taylor, who left in free agency. The arrow is pointing up for this young man, and he has the physicality, football IQ, and play speed to maximize it.

Brisker ended the season with a bang in the playoffs, having a fantastic game that would be his last in a Bears uniform. He was all over the field defending passes and making an impact closer to the line of scrimmage, which speaks to his usage last year. Brisker played with more lineup versatility and down in the box in Dennis Allen's defense and was used as a havoc-generating agent. He has more range and recovery than you'd think, but he's still best utilized from a two-high or box alignment. He fits well against the run and can play as a dime-backer in sub defensive sets to add an edge to more secondary members on the field.

Having a safety on your roster that just "gets it" is a huge bonus to the defense. Reed Blankenship isn't the best athlete on the field, but his football IQ makes up for a lot of that. He plays fast with play recognition, takes away routes over the middle of the field, and can handle whatever type of rotation the DC hands him. A hard worker and leader both on and off the field, Blankenship is a consistent player who wants to tackle and can be relied upon. He's the adult in the room at all times.

When you watch the Vikings' defense, guys are flying all over the place trying to cause havoc, and Josh Metellus is in the middle of it all, holding it together. He lines up at every level, but played more as a true safety last season than ever before in his career. He fills run lanes quickly from depth, can cut down a route over the middle of the field, and plays with the style of a linebacker who can cover like a safety. The scheme takes him to the ends of the field, and the effort and toughness he shows as a leader are among the traits Flores most wants in his defense. Play fast and tough, and he'll point you in the right direction.

A year-two breakout for Tykee Smith resulted in him nearly doubling his tackling and passes defensed output while truly varying his positional versatility. Predominantly a slot player as a rookie, Smith played mostly as a safety but worked down in the nickel and in the box from a linebacker adjustment. He fits the run well from all levels, sorts through the trash in both phases, and closes to the ball carrier quickly with bad intentions. Smith's emergence helps this young group of secondary members by forming an excellent duo on the back end with Winfield to help bail them out if need be.

Splitting his time on the back end and in the box for the Saints' defense, Justin Reid brought physicality, communication, and leadership with him to New Orleans. He was one of the veterans in a young secondary last season and allowed the lowest passer rating (76.8% according to NFLPro) in 2025 since his time in Houston. His well-rounded game and big nickel abilities were not tested as much as in previous seasons, with only 31 targets to his name. Reid is an underrated safety and a big-game player. If the Saints continue on the path they ended last season, he could see more big games in his future.

The Cardinals used Thompson in various ways to cover holes in their defense (due to injury) and to get more defensive backs on the field. While he can come down in the box, his size and ability are better suited to split field or post safety. He's a sound tackler and plays with play recognition and recovery skills on top of a defense. Thompson matches routes with the quarterback's eyes well and triggers downhill when the throwing motion starts. He and Budda Baker have been one of the best safety tandems in the NFL over the past few seasons, and now he's headed to Dallas to help shore up a defense that desperately needs it.

Making a fantastic pair on the Packers' back end, Evan Williams mirrors Xavier McKinney in a lot of ways, but just hasn't seen as much ball yet in only his second NFL season. There are still some false steps and signs that he's thinking too much in coverage, but he feels the game very well. Williams handles rotations to any area of the field, has good range, and is an impact run defender. He started 15 games for the Packers last season and watched his ball production increase. As he gains more football knowledge and trusts his eyes in coverage, the arrow is pointing way up for Williams.