2026 Draft: Safety

[stelfans]

Some talk about Kp price from BC. Anyone know anything about him? Has good size, 2 int on the season and is a team captain.
Gotta look into him.

 

[manxman2601]

Some talk about Kp price from BC. Anyone know anything about him? Has good size, 2 int on the season and is a team captain.
Gotta look into him.

I don't know whether he's good or not but the first two tweets that came up when I searched his name were prospects I like beating him. Not meant as a knock on him, just noting the irony.

 

[stelfans]

I enjoyed that second one more than I should.
That looked like Marcus Jones going against Atlanta.

 

[manxman2601]

I dismissed Kamari Ramsey early in the year because he had 15 missed tackles last year. However this season he is only one of two leading safeties with zero missed tackles on the year. One thing to note is that he has being playing the slot almost exclusively this year but I figure that's a good thing from a versatility point of view and this is a guy that was ranked safety no 2 or 3 coming into the year.

So to summarise, a highly ranked safety, who has played FS, SS and a full season of NCB who, this season, has zero missed tackles and has two years of over 80 in coverage grades. It's not a pick that excites me because I haven't seen game-changing, playmaking ability but from a logical point of view it makes a lot of sense.

By the way, the other safety with zero missed tackles? Jelani McDonald.

 

[mayoclinic]

I think Ramsey is a good player, but he doesn't excite me compared to others.

 

[manxman2601]

I think Ramsey is a good player, but he doesn't excite me compared to others.

Nor me, but sometimes the logical pick makes more sense than the exciting one. I'm just saying he shouldn't be dismissed.

 

[Clonamery]

Nor me, but sometimes the logical pick makes more sense than the exciting one. I'm just saying he shouldn't be dismissed.

Feels like Boston (WR), I'm ok with it but I'll feel like we missed out on something more.

 

[manxman2601]

Feels like Boston (WR), I'm ok with it but I'll feel like we missed out on something more.

Great minds. That's exactly who I was thinking of as a logical v exciting pick.

 

[mayoclinic]

Stock Up: Jelani McDonald

No Texas player has seen his stock rise more than Jelani McDonald this season. You would’ve struggled to find his name on any sort of top-100 list entering the year; he was a No. 3 safety as a true sophomore on a good defense with other names shining.

Since then, though, McDonald has completely broken out in Austin. He leads the Longhorns in tackles, and only LSU’s AJ Haulcy has more in the SEC. Yet McDonald is also flashing in the passing game — one of the spots you’d expect the large safety to struggle in. Of all SEC safeties targeted more than 20 times, he’s one of just two with 125 or fewer yards surrendered.

McDonald’s got stat-sheet-popping numbers, but it’s his athleticism that will really sell NFL teams. He may end up with a top-three RAS in the 2026 class if he does declare.

Mid season Texas Longhorn NFL Draft stock watch

Which Longhorns have raised their draft stock the most since the start of the 2025 CFB season

www.on3.com

 

[Clonamery]

Mid season Texas Longhorn NFL Draft stock watch

Which Longhorns have raised their draft stock the most since the start of the 2025 CFB season

www.on3.com

I hope he comes out that way we have a shot at him unlike next year.

 

[manxman2601]

Vrabel will like that versatility.



Hubbard is a playmaker. He had a forced fumble at the weekend.

He had a problem with missed tackles early in the season, 6 in 5 games, but only 2 in his last five games. He has a 87.2 run defense grade, an 85.7 pass coverage grade, 3 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles and only a 48 QB rating against him.

 

[hornetfb85]

Draft a starting caliber S and re-sign Hawkins. Add that to Woodson and I’m pretty happy with the S position.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Vrabel will like that versatility.

Hubbard is a playmaker. He had a forced fumble at the weekend.

He had a problem with missed tackles early in the season, 6 in 5 games, but only 2 in his last five games. He has a 87.2 run defense grade, an 85.7 pass coverage grade, 3 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles and only a 48 QB rating against him.

Draft a starting caliber S and re-sign Hawkins. Add that to Woodson and I’m pretty happy with the S position.

Don't we want a coverage safety? Hubbard looks like a SS? Like the kid from PS? Wheatley?

 

[hornetfb85]

Don't we want a coverage safety? Hubbard looks like a SS? Like the kid from PS? Wheatley?

Woodson, Wheatley and Hawkins…

 

[manxman2601]

Don't we want a coverage safety? Hubbard looks like a SS? Like the kid from PS? Wheatley?

Hubbard plays all 3 fairly equally. Wheatley plays FS and SS fairly equally too although leans slightly more to the free role ( 225 snaps at free, 188 in the box).

Just looking at other safeties snaps at FS

AJ Haulcy, LSU - 355 snnaps at FS
Jelani McDonald - 249
Genesis Smith - 338
Michael Taaffe - 266
Emmanuel Mcneil-Warren - 113
Jalen Huskey - 260
Keon Sabb- 295
Amare Ferrell - 274

and this surprised me. Dillon Thieneman has more snaps at strong than free (194/161). Maybe Genesis Smith is the guy we should be looking at.

 

[manxman2601]

He’s the safety playing the left hash in the next clip.

 

[Clonamery]

My belief is that the can't-go-wrong pick at Safety might be 12+ picks deep.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

He’s the safety playing the left hash in the next clip.

I agree. That is what we need. A free safety that is a CB too. Perfect compliment.

Add a tall coverage LB and this is a different defense.

 

[manxman2601]

I agree. That is what we need. A free safety that is a CB too. Perfect compliment.

Add a tall coverage LB and this is a different defense.

I know you're not that high on Woodson but he had a few good plays yesterday. A couple of hard hits leading to PBUs and some excellent solo tackles in run support particularly in the 4th quarter. He's probably more of a strong safety, which you did say at the time, but I still think he's a long-term starter for us. Re-sign Hawkins and draft someone like Genesis Smith and that's a quality safety room. Hawkins has been playing much better the last few games.

 

[manxman2601]

My belief is that the can't-go-wrong pick at Safety might be 12+ picks deep.

We have to draft one - it's too good a class not to.