The Triple Take crew of Dale Lolley, Matt Williamson and Mike Prisuta take a look at the top prospects in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft, which will be held in April. Today, they delve into the safety position.
The opinions expressed here are their own and not those of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Dale's First Look
1. Malakai Starks, Georgia, 6-0 7/8, 197 lbs.
2. Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina, 6-3 ½, 220 lbs.
3. Xavier Watts, Notre Dame, 5-11 ¾, 204 lbs.
3. Kevin Winston, Penn State, 6-1 ½, 215 lbs.
4. Billy Bowman, Oklahoma, 5-9 ⅞, 192 lbs.
Dale's Second Look
1. Malakai Starks, Georgia, 6-0 7/8, 197 lbs.
2. Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina, 6-3 ½, 220 lbs.
3. Xavier Watts, Notre Dame, 5-11 ¾, 204 lbs.
4. Kevin Winston, Penn State, 6-1 ½, 215 lbs.
5. Billy Bowman, Oklahoma, 5-9 ⅞, 192 lbs.
Dale's Thoughts: It's not a great safety class, but Malakai Starks and Nick Emmanwori should both go somewhere in the top 35 or so picks, depending on what teams are looking for at the position. Starks is more of a free safety who can also drop down and play the slot, while Emmanwori profiles as a strong safety who can play nickel or dime linebacker, as well. He also could be used in the slot. … Watts had 13 interceptions the past two seasons. The ball just seems to find the former wide receiver who was converted to safety after his freshman season. … Winston might be higher on this list if he had played more in 2024, but a knee injury limited him to just two games. He has just 15 career starts because of that, but he was able to work out and run at Penn State's pro day, which alleviates many of the concerns about him. … Virginia's Jonas Sanker just missed the top five. He profiles as a strong safety who should be very good on special teams while he learns his craft. … Andrew Mukuba of Texas spent his first three seasons at Clemson before heading west in 2024 and collecting five interceptions. At 5-11, 186 pounds, he can play in the slot, but also could find a home as a free safety. … Dante Trader of Maryland is a bit undersized at 5-10 ⅞, but he's well put together at 200 pounds and can play deep safety. His 4.65-second 40-yard dash at his pro day wasn't ideal, but he plays downhill and packs a punch as a tackler.
Matt's First Look
1. Malaki Starks, Georgia, 6-0 7/8, 197 lbs.
2. Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina, 6-3 1/8, 220 lbs.
3. Xavier Watts, Notre Dame, 5-11 3/4, 204 lbs.
4. Kevin Winston Jr., Penn State, 6-1 1/2, 215 lbs.
5. Billy Bowman Jr., Oklahoma, 5-9 7/8, 192 lbs.
Matt's Second Look
1. Malaki Starks, Georgia, 6-0 7/8, 197 lbs.
2. Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina, 6-3 1/8, 220 lbs.
3. Kevin Winston Jr., Penn State, 6-1 1/2, 215 lbs.
4. Xavier Watts, Notre Dame, 5-11 3/4, 204 lbs.
5. Jonas Sanker, Virginia, 6-0 3/8, 206 lbs.
Matt's Thoughts: Bowman's lack of size, which results in great struggles as a tackler, is the reason he dropped out of the top five. He is a fun watch, but it just won't get any easier for him at the next level. … Switching Winston and Watts isn't a monumental change, but the more I watch the small sample of tape on Winston, the more I think he could be a first round safety if he were totally clean medically. And honestly, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if Winston ends up being the best safety in this class when it all said and done. The gap between Starks and Emmanwori to the second tier of Winston and Watts keeps shrinking for me. … Sanker went from my sleeper to my fifth-ranked safety. He is an excellent athlete that was a three-year starter. Sanker has a lot of playmaking traits and is a very good tackler that should also be able to match up well in the slot against athletic tight ends and big wide receivers. … Texas' Andrew Mukuba has a very strong case for displacing Sanker for fifth on this list. He doesn't have great size, but Mukuba does have a lot of experience on a big stage and really plays the game with a nasty edge. He also has an impressive head for the game. … Winston's partner in crime at Penn State, Jaylen Reed, also could make an impact in the league-probably as a third safety. He is thickly built and has spent a lot of time as a slot defender. Reed might not excel in this role at the next level as a coverage player, but this is a very aggressive player.
Mike's First Look
1. Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina, 6-3 1/8, 220 lbs.
2. Malaki Starks, Georgia, 6-0 7/8, 197 lbs.
3. Xavier Watts, Notre Dame, 6-0, 204 lbs
4. Billy Bowman Jr., Oklahoma, 5-97/8, 192 lbs.
5. Kevin Winston Jr., Penn State, 6-2, 208 lbs.
Mike's Second Look
1. Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina, 6-3 1/8, 220 lbs.
2. Malaki Starks, Georgia, 6-0 7/8, 197 lbs.
3. Xavier Watts, Notre Dame, 6-0, 204 lbs
4. Billy Bowman Jr., Oklahoma, 5-97/8, 192 lbs.
5. Kevin Winston Jr., Penn State, 6-2, 208 lbs.
Mike's Thoughts: "Safety First" remains unchanged, after further review, extending to the sleeper identified in the first look at the position, Navy's Rayuan Lane III, Navy (5-11, 200 lbs.) … Iowa's Sebastian Castro (5-11 1/4, 203 lbs.) is physical, smart and tough, as you'd expect from an Iowa DB. There have been 27 of those who have moved on to the NFL in the Kirk Ferentz era at Iowa … Ohio State's Lathan Ransom (6-1, 210 lbs.) earned Third-Team Associated Press All-America honors in 2024, as Castro did. Ransom has NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah's respect. "He's a good player, can fill the alley, excellent angles, strong, physical tackler," Jeremiah assessed. "I thought he had a quick trigger, he sees it and goes. He can cover the tight end, as well." … Penn State's Jaylen Reed (5-11 7/8, 211 lbs.) is another candidate from the Big Ten who has Jeremiah's attention. "He literally plays with his hair on fire," Jeremiah insisted. "He is all out, all the time. I just love the energy he plays with. Reed's gonna make a team happy, probably in about the third round." … Clemson's R.J. Mickens (6-0, 199 lbs.) can play in the box or the slot (the latter a capability that's shared by a number of candidates at safety in this draft). Mickens' father, Ray Sr., played 10 NFL seasons for the Jets, Browns and Patriots … Texas' Andrew Mukuba (5-11 1/4, 186 lbs.) spent three seasons at Clemson before becoming a Third-Team All-SEC selection in his one season with the Longhorns. Mukuba had five interceptions in 2024 and attacks the running game … Virginia's Jonas Sanker (6-0 3/8, 206 lbs.) did a little bit of everything for the Cavaliers in 2024 (98 tackles, eight-and-a-half tackles for a loss, two sacks, one interception, four passes defensed, one blocked kick and two fumble recoveries in 12 games. He gave a good accounting of his game at the Senior Bowl … Wisconsin's Hunter Wohler (6-1 3/8, 213 lbs.) had 120 tackles for the Badgers in 2023. His physicality is apparent (that might be an entrance requirement at Wisconsin) and he made himself noticed during Senior Bowl Week in Mobile, Ala. … Jeremiah announced he was a "fan" of California's Craig Woodson (5-11 3/4, 202 lbs.) during the NFL Scouting Combine. After Woodson ran an unofficial 4.46-second 40-yard dash, Jeremiah amended his contention to "Now I'm the president of the Woodson fan club." … Dante Trader Jr. (5-10 3/4, 196 lbs.) initially went to Maryland on a lacrosse scholarship. He knows football, too. "He puts himself in all the right places," NFL Network analyst Charles Davis noted. "I just like the intelligence he plays the game with." … Illinois State's Keondre Jackson (6-1, 209 lbs.) made postseason stops at the Hula Bowl and the Senior Bowl. He was ready for each successive challenge, not surprisingly, as it turns out. "I was born ready," Jackson told the NFL Network. "If you stay ready you don't have to get ready." … Alabama's Malachi Moore (6-0, 201 lbs.) drew an emotional unsportsmanlike conduct penalty at the end of a loss to Vanderbilt. He was still named a Second-Team AP All-American. Moore played the "Star" position for the Crimson Tide (a safety/linebacker hybrid) prior to this season.
