The development shown from Coby Bryant going from slot corner early in his career to a do-it-all safety has been fun to watch. That he's pulled down seven interceptions and 13 passes defended in the last two seasons is a testament to that. His range is helped by his instincts and ability to get an early jump on where the ball is going, and he is an excellent zone defender with the awareness to pick up routes and buzz down underneath. While Bryant will miss tackles with aggression, he's a smart run defender who takes good angles, and that shows in his coverage game, too. He'll help shore up the defensive issues the Bears faced last season.

Returning to the team that drafted him for the 2025 season, Minkah Fitzpatrick helped turn around a defense that was struggling through the first few months of the season. He makes plays based more on his football IQ than athletic ability at this point, but he still offers free safety and nickel flexibility. Fitzpatrick knows how to recover, identifies plays quickly, and gets to the football quickly. He missed more tackles last season due to poor pursuit angles, but the physicality in the run and screen game still allows him to be impactful. He suffered a calf injury at the end of the season, but will be fully healthy for his first season with the Jets and hopefully will return to his turnover ways in New York.

Still one of the best tackling players in the NFL, Antoine Winfield Jr. was not a defender offenses looked to test in the passing game. Five targets were the most he faced in a single game, and that happened only once last season, but he didn't entirely look himself. Winfield played more reactively than anticipatorily, and his yards-per-reception allowed were higher than at any point since his rookie season. It's possible his leg/knee injury from the 2024 season lingered into 2025 and hampered the former All-Pro. However, he still found ways to impact games with eight passes defended, two interceptions, and 16 quarterback pressures, the most in his career.

Being a rookie on a defense like the Ravens is already full of different pitfalls, and the injuries sustained across the board early put even more on his plate. After the early-season inconsistencies, Starks found himself and was a big part of allowing Alohi Gilman and Kyle Hamilton to rotate down and around the box when needed. He handled tons of rotations, was a good run defender, and quickly identified routes developing downfield to take away big plays. He finished the season strong for the Ravens and set the table to truly break out for the new defensive-minded head coach, Jesse Minter.

Xavier Watts deserved a stronger push for Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2025. He makes up half of the best safety duo in the league with Jessie Bates, allowed Bates to roam closer to the line of scrimmage, and helped unlock the defense and create turnovers. Watts had five interceptions and 11 passes broken up as a rookie, was a plus run defender from depth, and, while there were some lapses, he showed the ability to recover not just physically but also mentally. He didn't look like a rookie out there; he handled more rotations, living on top of the defense, and the NFL stage like he was meant to be there.

When the Colts' secondary is healthy, it's got some of the highest potential in the NFL, and the one that makes it all work is Camryn Bynum. He might not be the rangiest safety to live on top of a defense in the NFL, but he does a great job staying on top of deep routes, taking advantage of overthrows, and turning them into interceptions. Bynum was on the field for 661 coverage snaps and was targeted at a 4.8% rate, and was still able to create eight passes defensed and four interceptions. He's a playmaker for the Colts defense.

The Patriots' secondary was one of the most complementary rooms in the NFL, and Hawkins had his best season ever in year two of his stint in New England. Showing off his range, Hawkins came down with four interceptions and six passes defensed while playing 75% of his snaps at free safety. While he wasn't bad as a man coverage player, he was excellent in zone. According to NFLPro, "Jaylinn Hawkins was targeted on 3.8% of his snaps in zone coverage, the 5th-lowest mark of any player with at least 200 snaps in zone, and allowed seven receptions for 62 yards on 16 targets while recording four interceptions." He'll be taking his talents to Jesse Minter's defense in Baltimore, where he could have another fantastic season.

It's hard for water to get where it's going with holes everywhere along the pipe, and that's how it felt for Amani Hooker last season. The secondary was riddled with holes, and he was tasked with covering as many as possible. His versatility is outstanding, showcasing the speed and route recognition to come down on short throws and recover over the top. He takes some aggressive angles in run support, but sees the plays unfold and has the effort to track the ball carrier across the field to make a tackle. With a new staff and renewed energy in Tennessee, there's room for Hooker to rebound in a big way.

Film study shows up every Sunday for Delpit, and his instincts take him to the football quickly and often. He's an aggressive downhill player who isn't afraid to fit any run, wants to punish the ball carrier, and ties underneath routes to the quarterback's eyes quickly. Willing to man up against tight ends and make life tough for them, his coverage toolbox varies, but he is a much better player closer to the action than on top of the defense. Delpit flies around the field and brings a ton of energy to the Browns' secondary.

Even while sustaining a hamstring injury that forced him to miss nine games in 2025, Julian Love is an absolute dawg and one of the most underrated safeties in the NFL. The coverage instincts are fantastic, and he sniffs out routes over the middle of the field with regularity to pile up PBUs and interceptions. The great clip of Love from the Super Bowl, showcasing how Drake Maye was telegraphing his throws right before he intercepted him, is pure gold. He can man up on tight ends and offer true nickel coverage flexibility for Seattle's defense while maintaining one of the better recovery skill sets at the position. This is the type of safety every defense needs.

Ramsey started the season playing predominantly at nickel cornerback and then transitioned to safety after Week 9, and hit the ground running. His football IQ is off the charts, and he still shows great closing speed, making him a force in coverage. Recovery downfield isn't what it used to be, and it showed up a few times, but his willingness and ability to fit the run and be in the right place greatly improved the Steelers' defense over the back half of the year. Ramsey really can do it all.

The Texans' defense is full of chess pieces for DeMeco Ryans to terrorize opposing kings (quarterbacks), and Calen Bullock has emerged as the instinctual "queen" patrolling the board. He plays with range, good movement skills, coverage flexibility, and a willingness to not only improve as a tackler, but to play the run as well. He takes some poor angles at times, but he's made up for it with six interceptions and 11 passes defensed last season (regular and postseason). In year two, Bullock established himself as one of the rangiest and most impactful post-safeties in the NFL with the arrow still pointing up as a member of this defense.