Can Patriots Strike Gold At Safety Once Again?

The Patriots’ secondary is where they butter their bread. With a collection of dependable cornerbacks in tow, New England solidified their defensive secondary this offseason, signing All Pro safety Kevin Byard (Titans), who previously played under head coach Mike Vrabel during their time together in Tennessee. A phenomenal talent, Byard led the NFL with seven interceptions this past season. He will replace Jaylinn Hawkins (Ravens), who departed in free agency, to pair with Craig Woodson to create one of the most formidable safety duos in the NFL. The Patriots struck gold with their selection of Woodson in the fourth round a year ago, as he emerged as a stout run-stopper. 

New England could look to follow suit once again in this year’s draft, as their starting tandem appears to be set, but finding a versatile backup who could fill in at both safety spots could be on the agenda during draft weekend. While the team has met with players such as Emmanuel McNeil-Warren of Toledo and Dillon Thieneman of Oregon, they are considered top-50 overall talents and probably unrealistic for where the Patriots will be looking to select a safety.

A few possibilities in the later rounds might include Zakee Wheatley of Penn State or Jalen Kilgore of South Carolina, two additional players that New England has shown interest in during the pre-draft process. When it comes to size, speed and versatility, VJ Payne of Kansas State would also seem to fit the mold and could be an ideal target on the final day of the draft. Look for the Patriots to try and replicate the model that worked so well for them when they identified Woodson early on Day 3. There is value to be had here, so it would be foolish not to at least consider the late-round possibilities.

New England Patriots S Depth Chart: Kevin Byard, Craig Woodson, Dell Pettus, Brenden Schooler, Mike Brown, John Saunders Jr.

Please find our BSJ 2026 Safety Preview below, filled with an overview, rankings and in-depth player evaluations on the top 30 draft-eligible safety prospects. [Next Up: Special Teams] 

2026 BSJ NFL DRAFT SAFETY CLASS OVERVIEW

Buckle up for safety, as this position group is loaded, featuring a trio of prospects who could land in round one. Our No. 1-rated overall player in the 2026 NFL Draft is Caleb Downs of Ohio State. A rangy, instinctual safety who can roam the backend or step up in the box, Downs is a dynamic game-changer down the middle of the defense. While some are quick to point out his lack of prototype size, claiming he can’t quite be an enforcer, he brings plenty of physicality and has consistently played at a dominant level.

Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren has been rocketing up draft boards after stellar play this past season. He had numerous tempting NIL offers to enter the transfer portal last season, but stayed true to the program, noting the success of his former teammate Quinyon Mitchell (Eagles). Now, McNeil-Warren has positioned himself to follow suit.

In the box is where you will often find Dillon Thieneman of Oregon. A speedy, downhill thumper who brings the juice, Thieneman is one of the top overall athletes in the draft and is quick to shoot the gaps. Meanwhile, Bud Clark of TCU is an experienced playmaker with a knack for creating turnovers and the versatile Treydan Stukes of Arizona brings a rare size/speed combo that could allow him to play either safety or corner.

There is more than adequate depth amongst the position group to last well into early Day 3 of the draft with projected contributors. 

2026 BSJ SAFETY BIG BOARD

RANK | PLAYER | SCHOOL | PROJECTION [# = indicates combine invite; HPFA = high priority free agent; PFA = priority free agent]

1. #Caleb Downs, Ohio State, Rd1

2. #Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo, Rd1

3. #Dillon Thieneman, Oregon, Rd2

4. #Bud Clark, TCU, Rd2

5. #Treydan Stukes, Arizona, Rd2

6. #Zakee Wheatley, Penn State, Rd3

7. #Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina, Rd3

8. #Jakobe Thomas, Miami, Rd3

9. #Robert Spears-Jennings, Oklahoma, Rd3

10. #AJ Haulcy, LSU, Rd4

11. #VJ Payne, Kansas State, Rd4

12. #Genesis Smith, Arizona, Rd4

13. #Kamari Ramsey, USC, Rd5

14. #Lorenzo Styles, Ohio State, Rd5

15. #Xavier Nwankpa, Iowa, Rd6

16. Cole Wisniewski, Texas Tech, Rd6

17. #Bishop Fitzgerald, USC, Rd6

18. #Dalton Johnson, Arizona, Rd7

19. #Deshon Singleton, Nebraska, Rd7

20. #Michael Taaffe, Texas, Rd7

21. Jacob Thomas, James Madison, HPFA

22. DQ Smith, South Carolina, HPFA

23. #Jalen Huskey, Maryland, HPFA

24. #Ahmaad Moses, SMU, HPFA

25. Clayton Lee-Powell, Georgia Tech, HPFA

26. Jalen Stroman, Notre Dame, HPFA

27. Daylan Carnell, Missouri, HPFA

28. Gavin Gibson, North Carolina, HPFA

29. Duce Chestnut, Syracuse, HPFA

30. Peter Manuma, Hawaii, HPFA

31. Nicholas Anderson, Wake Forest, HPFA

32. Brylan Green, Liberty, HPFA

33. Tanner Wall, BYU, HPFA

34. Caleb Weaver, Duke, HPFA

35. Austin Brown, Wisconsin, HPFA

36. Kolbey Taylor, Vanderbilt, HPFA

37. Wydett Williams, Ole Miss, HPFA

38. Miles Scott, Illinois, HPFA

39. Skyler Thomas, Oregon State, HPFA

40. Isaiah Nwokobia, SMU, HPFA

41. Myles Rowser, Arizona State, PFA

42. Elijah Blaky, Miami-Ohio, PFA

43. Jakari Foster, Louisiana Tech, PFA

44. Malik Spencer, Michigan State, PFA

45. Phillip Dunnam, UCF, PFA

46. Jett Elad, Rutgers, PFA

47. Silas Walters, Miami-Ohio, PFA

48. Cam Smith, Marshall, PFA

49. Xavion Alford, Arizona State, PFA

50. Jahron Manning, Mississippi State, PFA

BSJ SAFETY SCOUTING REPORTS

PLAYER PROFILE KEY (How to read the prospect header):

LAST NAME | FIRST NAME | SCHOOL | POSITION | YEAR | JERSEY # | HOMETOWN | PROJECTION

ABBREVIATIONS: HT = Height | WT: Weight | HD = Hand | ARM = Arm | WS: = Wingspan | 40-YD = Forty-Yard Dash | BP = Bench Press | VJ = Vertical Jump | BJ = Broad Jump | SHTL = Short Shuttle | 3C = Three-Cone

**Note**Heights of players are measured to the nearest eighth of an inch – for example, “6003” would stand for 6 ft. and 3/8 inches tall. (The first number refers to the feet, the second two numbers refer to the inches, and the last number refers to eighths of an inch). Arm, hand, and wingspan are written differently – 3012 would mean 30 1/2 inches, 0934 would mean 9 3/4 inches, and 7558 would mean 75 5/8 inches.

1. DOWNS, CALEB | Ohio State | S | Jr | #2 | Hoschton, GA | Day 1

Combine: HT: 5115 | WT: 206 | HD: 0948 | ARM: 3018

Evaluation: A cornerstone talent, Downs owns the ability to be one of the top safeties in the NFL within the next couple of years. A key cog during the Buckeyes’ national championship run, Downs was sure to make his presence felt in Columbus the past two seasons, after transferring over from Alabama. The five-star recruit has delivered on the hype, making plays across the field on a weekly basis, while making a bushel of stops behind the line of scrimmage. What makes Downs one of the premier prospects for the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft is his cunning instincts, high football IQ and elite athleticism. His quick closing speed enables him to be a factor against the run and he provides stealth pass coverage. Aside from some open-field tackling issues that occasionally show up, there is little that Downs can’t do. This past season, he was counted on to assume a larger leadership role as one of the more experienced players. The Georgia native is known to be an extremely hard worker and stems from a family tree of NFL hierarchy, including his father, running back Gary Downs, brother Josh Downs and uncle Dre Bly. It has been 70 years since the last time a safety was drafted number one overall (Gary Glick) and while Downs is the best player in the Class of 2026, teams simply do not value safeties. Any NFL decision-maker who passes him up in the draft, will live to regret that mistake for the rest of their life.

Background: Appeared in 44 games in three seasons at Ohio State (2024-25) and Alabama (2023). CFP national champion (2024). A two-time All-Big Ten First Team and two-time Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year (2024-25); Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Lott Trophy and Jim Thorpe Award Winner (2025). A two-time unanimous All-American (2024-25); Second Team All-American (2023). A standout in football, baseball and basketball at Mill Creek High School, ranked one of the top recruits in the nation and was named the All-American Bowl Player of the Year as a senior, in addition to 2023 USA Today Defensive Football Player of the Year. Majored in sports industry. The son of Tanya and Gary Downs, father was a running back for Giants, Broncos and Falcons. His sister, Kameron, is in medical school at Wake Forest. Brother, Josh, is a wide receiver on the Colts. Uncle, Dre Bly, was a two-time Pro Bowl selection at cornerback and a Super Bowl XXXIV champion.

Stats: Played 14 games in 2025, had 68 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, two forced fumbles, two pass deflections, two interceptions. In 44 career games, made 257 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, 12 pass deflections, six interceptions.

2. MCNEIL-WARREN, EMMANUEL | Toledo | S | Sr | #7 | Tampa, FL | Day 1

Combine: HT: 6034 | WT: 201 | HD: 0918 | ARM: 3218 | 40-YD: 4.52 (1.58) | VJ: 35.5” | BJ: 10-2

Evaluation: With his combination of