Jason King rounds out his comprehensive look at the best rookie defenders from last season.
Which rookie safeties stood out in year one?
Which players who overperformed last season may drop off in 2022?
We examine some veteran defensive winners and losers from the AFC after the 2022 NFL Draft. Which players were affected the most?
We break down the defenses in the AFC West.
We wrap up our two-part look on how coaching changes will affect your IDPs in 2022.
What will some of the NFL's defensive coaching changes mean for your IDPs in 2022?
Which safeties disappointed in 2020 and what can we expect moving forward?
We examine which players are studs at the safety position, who has potential, and everybody else!
Which safeties will repeat in the top 12? Who will jump in to replace the players who drop off?
We dive deep into the defensive units in the AFC West.
On the cusp of free agency, we’re about to see a ton of change in the safety landscape. The market is saturated with capable veterans: Kamren Curl, Xavier McKinney, Julian Blackmon, Justin Simmons, Kevin Byard, Eddie Jackson, Quandre Diggs, Jeremy Chinn, Darnell Savage Jr, Jordan Whitehead, Jordan Fuller, Jordan Poyer, Micah Hyde, Jamal Adams, Rayshawn Jenkins, Tracy Walker, Jayron Kearse, Geno Stone, Brandon Jones, John Johnson III and Jonathan Owens are among those available.
The buyer’s market makes it somewhat difficult to predict which rising second-year safeties truly have a shot at a meaningful role in 2024 and beyond. In your true dynasty leagues with first-come, first-served waivers, stay nimble with your roster spots over the next week.
This is the final installment of the 2023 rookie review series. If you missed the first three articles, part one focused on interior defensive linemen. The edge rushers warranted two parts: one for elite assets and current or future fantasy starters, and one for everyone else. Part three examined the off-ball linebackers. The cornerback class was nice too but corners simply don’t carry dynasty value from year-to-year, so I don’t pay them much mind when looking through a dynasty lens.
Before getting into the rankings and brief reviews, credit goes to Pro Football Reference (PFR) for all statistics except for pressures and alignment data, which comes via Pro Football Focus (PFF).
Looked at from the entirety of IDP, a safety would have to be something extra special to rise to the elite tier along with the top edge rushers, linebackers and interior defensive linemen. The closest safeties would be Antoine Winfield Jr, Kyle Hamilton, and Derwin James; to me, those are the elites at the position.
The top two safeties in this tier are already considered weekly starters even in “start two” formats with a combined defensive backs category. I’m less confident in the third and fourth safeties here, but there are things to like based on draft capital, early quality of play and opportunity.
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