Bucs must snag a safety in the NFL draft. But in which round?
As the 2023 NFL draft nears, we’re assessing the top prospects at the Bucs’ positions of greatest need. Today’s position: safety.
For a team that has watched free agency siphon its safety depth over the last two seasons, the upcoming NFL draft arrives with good and grim news.
The good news: Every safety on the Bucs’ board should still be there when they select at No. 19 (presuming they don’t deal the pick).
The grim: All those safeties might still be there when they choose again at No. 50. And a hearty assortment just might be lingering when they pick at No. 82.
While this class features several prospects with the nickel coverage chops and run support sturdiness coveted by the Bucs, it is devoid of an Ed Reed replicate. Mel Kiper has no safety listed among his top 25 draft prospects, and fellow ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay has none among his top 36. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah had only one safety among his top 50 prospects published last month.
Yet the Bucs are expected to take at least one safety — and possibly two — on draft weekend, out of necessity. Veteran Antoine Winfield Jr., recent free-agent signee Ryan Neal and 2022 undrafted free agent Nolan Turner are the only true safeties on the roster. Moreover, the Bucs have made it clear they would prefer to keep Winfield back at free safety, where he can make more plays on the ball.
So who steps in to fill the void created by the departures of Jordan Whitehead (to the Jets in 2022), Mike Edwards (Chiefs) and Keanu Neal (Steelers)? Here are some possibilities:
Brian Branch, Alabama
Height/weight: 6-0, 190
Key stats: 90 tackles (14 for loss) in 2022
If a safety sneaked into the first round, Branch would be the likeliest candidate. Primarily a nickel cornerback for the Crimson Tide, he also can play either safety spot, which would endear him to Todd Bowles (who puts a premium on versatility). Bear in mind, the Bucs also lost Sean Murphy-Bunting (to the Titans), so a nickel-safety hybrid seems ideally suited for Bowles and Co.
Sydney Brown, Illinois
Height/weight: 5-10, 211
Key stats: Six interceptions, seven pass breakups in 2022
The son of a former Canadian Football League player and figure skater, Brown may possess the most freakish athletic talent of this class. He ran the fourth-fasted 40-yard dash of all safeties (4.47 seconds) at the NFL combine, and his 23 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press were second only to Florida’s Trey Dean. NFL.com’s Chad Reuter has the Bucs taking Brown in the second round.
Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M
Height/weight: 6-2, 198
Key stats: 71 tackles, three forced fumbles in nine starts in 2022
Johnson, who totaled 150 tackles in his final two seasons at Texas A&M, is a physical force that seems to thrive inside the box in run support (which the Bucs need). The winner of the Aggies’ Defensive Playmaker Award in 2021 (79 tackles, five pass breakups), he earned first-team All-SEC honors in 2022. McShay lists him as the draft’s second-best safety.
Jartavius Martin, Illinois
Height/weight: 5-11, 194
Key stats: Team-high 51 solo tackles, 11 pass breakups, three interceptions
A southwest Florida native, Martin logged the third-fastest 40 time (4.46 seconds) and fastest 10-yard split (1.47) among safeties at the NFL combine. Before that, he had a prosperous five-season career at Illinois, totaling 222 tackles, seven interceptions and 30 passes defended in 55 games. Another nickel-safety hybrid who could benefit a team lacking depth at both spots.
JL Skinner, Boise State
Height/weight: 6-4, 209
Key stats: Team-high four interceptions, 65 tackles in 2022
Arguably the sleeper of the class, Skinner was invited to the NFL combine, but didn’t work out due to a torn pectoral muscle. His volumes of game tape at Boise (44 career contests, 31 starts) reveal a physical box safety with the burst and agility to play the single-high spot when needed. A first-team All-Mountain West Conference pick last season, he is a two-time Senior Bowl invitee.
Others to watch
Jordan Battle, Alabama: Three-year starter had 251 career tackles
Ji’Ayir Brown, Penn State: Nittany Lions MVP in 2022 (74 tackles, four interceptions)
Daniel Scott, California: Team captain totaled six picks over last two seasons
NFL draft
April 27-29, Kansas City, Mo. TV: ABC, ESPN
Bucs pick 19th (Round 1), 50th (Round 2), 82nd (Round 3), 153rd and 175th (Round 5), and 179th, 181st and 196th (Round 6)
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