This is my notes from the January 9th episode of Daft on Draft episode which covers 6 safeties. If you watch the Youtube version it has some clips included.
Caleb Downs: Cory said he basically checks every box except one, and that one box is true over-the-top range. Downs doesn’t really live as a classic single-high safety on tape; most of his best plays come from triggering downhill on digs, slants, and other in-breakers. James joked that he triggers like he installed the offense himself—his timing is outstanding. He diagnoses quick game instantly, has a great pick against Grambling on a quick slant, and is excellent at sniffing out things like tight end leaks. James did note that he’s not especially anticipatory sitting in hook/curl with routes developing behind him, and you can get some completions there. He does have a single-high interception against Alabama, but it’s a slot fade where he doesn’t have to get all the way to the sideline. That kind of sums him up: better acceleration than long speed. He’s not great covering deep outs from inside leverage, but his ball skills are excellent. Used properly, he’ll be a very good coverage player. As a run defender, he’s dominant—great block shed, great keys, great tackling, basically no weaknesses there. He wasn’t used as a punt returner this year, but he did have two punt return touchdowns the previous season when they let him do it.
Dillon Thieneman: James emphasized how versatile he’s been used. At Purdue he played true free safety in a Cover 1–heavy scheme, lining up very deep, with an average depth of alignment around 16.8 yards in 2023. At Oregon he played much closer to the line, closer to 8.5 yards. He’s not a big safety, around 205 pounds. Ball skills are uneven—he can panic at the catch point downfield if he doesn’t locate the ball early, but he’s solid when driving downhill. He’s more comfortable avoiding blocks than shedding them and only has about 15 career press-man reps. He’s a solid, consistent tackler, but not a power finisher—guys go down but usually fall forward. He has good short-area burst and very good eyes, and he’s led the FBS in tackles on screens and flares over the past two seasons, which says a lot about his processing. Cory thinks his change of direction is pretty good, and he’s decent getting to the edge and running the alley, but a little shaky in man coverage. Cory also noted that if Thieneman locates the ball, his ball skills are actually very good—he just doesn’t always find it downfield. Cory pointed to the Minnesota game as evidence that he can play with real range as a single high. Neither of them see him as a slot defender. Both landed on early-to-mid second round, with a chance he sneaks into the late first.
Emmanuel McNeil Warren: Big safety at 6’3, 210 from Toledo with long arms and real playmaking instincts. He’s a true ball hawk, plays through the hands at the catch point, and is an excellent peanut puncher. Eleven career forced fumbles that come from strips and punches, not just collisions. He’s a good tackler, plays relatively clean football, and James described him as a massive strider. He’s a little stiff, but once direction is declared, he accelerates okay. Very high IQ player and a natural middle-of-the-field enforcer. He’s excellent as a robber, breaking on the quarterback’s release. Probably not a single-high safety. James said he’s not a great athlete—his backpedal can look clunky, and while there’s enough fluidity to function, it’s not a strength. In the red zone, you sometimes see the lack of change of direction show up. They both see him as a second- or third-round player.
Genesis Smith: The only true single-high safety in the class who really has a chance to go Day 1 or Day 2. Best athlete among the safeties—explosive, rangy, fluid—but the ball production doesn’t quite match the athleticism. He’s very good in match coverage and has a high football IQ, knows when to peel off routes, and James noted he’s very precise with his hands at the catch point, with five forced fumbles. Run support is the big issue. He’s a subpar tackler, not a great trigger, and you absolutely don’t want him playing near the line of scrimmage. Cory gave him a low second-round grade, James a high third. James said he needs to improve drive angles and eye balance—he can get too locked onto the quarterback and break to where he thinks the ball will go rather than reading the receiver. He’s sticky in off-man coverage from the slot, but overall he’s a deep safety first and foremost. The Calen Bullock comp makes a lot of sense.
Kamari Ramsey: Like Thieneman, he has experience both as a free safety and closer to the line. As a free safety, he has solid range, but more long speed than burst. If he’s out-leveraged, he doesn’t have the acceleration to drive on deep outs, which limits him in Quarters or as a nickel. He is very good at turning and locating the ball downfield and doesn’t have issues with hole shots or slot fades. He triggers well in the flat and is good against quick game concepts like snag and spacing. Run defense is an issue—occasional blown gaps, poor block shedding, and he’s not a great tackler. He won’t be a plus run defender. Cory liked his 2023 free safety tape much more than his 2024 tape, which suffered after a new DC used him much closer to the line. He can hold his own in off-man from the slot and attacks the football well. Probably another late second or third-round player. Cory described him as almost the inverse of Caleb Downs as a free safety—Ramsey can handle verticals and fades, but can’t drive on in-breakers the way Downs can.
AJ Haulcy: They tried him at single high, and it didn’t really work. He’s best near the line of scrimmage. Acceleration and long speed are both average, but he’s a hard hitter and sometimes too eager to go for the big shot. He’s a crafty robber and has seven interceptions and pass breakups on shallow in-breakers over the past two seasons by baiting quarterbacks and triggering downhill. Cory comped him to Ronnie Hickman. James said if you put him in a Quarters scheme, he’ll get a few interceptions and half a dozen breakups just on poach technique alone. He could also function as a slip safety. Coming down the alley, his leverage needs work—he gives up too many cutback lanes. He’s not good in man coverage and will grab as soon as he feels vertical push. He’s also susceptible to double moves because he wants to trigger so badly. Mid-to-late third rounder or early Day 3, but in a defined role in the right scheme, he could absolutely be an effective NFL player.
Big takeaway for me was how role-specific this class is. There aren’t many true “do everything” safeties, but there are a lot of players who make sense if you know exactly how you want to use them.
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