It’s that special time of the NFL offseason where we are caught in limbo between OTAs and training camp. For the most part, there’s not all that much happening on a day-to-day basis. Teams are gearing up to start gearing up for the season, if that makes sense.
But given that we do have this nice break, it’s a good time to take stock of what we expect to see during the 2024 season. That’s why we’ve been running through each position, breaking down the top 20 players for 2024. We’re continuing that effort here by working through the league’s best safeties.
Honorable mentions (in alphabetical order by last name): Vonn Bell, Julian Blackmon, Jaquan Brisker, Ji’Ayir Brown, Kevin Byard, Alohi Gilman, Julian Love, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Josh Metellus, Trevon Moehrig, Jabrill Peppers, Jordan Poyer, Jalen Thompson, Jimmie Ward, Jordan Whitehead, Xavier Woods. Because this position is so deep, you could really take anyone after the No. 14 or 15 player on the list and switch them with any of the honorable mentions and it would probably make sense.
Without further ado…
Let’s group these two guys together. Along with the aforementioned Metellus, they were weaponized by Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores in fascinating ways during the 2023 season. All three of them lined up all over the place:
Bynum5611862824942Smith34639015139185Metellus5537739629206
Metellus had the most unusual role for a defensive back, essentially being utilized as a pass-rushing linebacker. His 29 pressures lead all DB, with the next-closest player having just 18. But Bynum and Smith arguably had larger responsibilities, with Bynum patrolling the back end and Smith covering tight ends, flying down in the run game, and captaining the defense as a whole. All three could belong on this list, but we went with the two more traditional safeties here.
CJGJ missed most of last season due to an injury. But when last we saw…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/ranking-top-20-safeties-for-2024-nfl-season-steelers-minkah-fitzpatrick-among-players-in-tier-of-their-own/
Author : Jared Dubin
Publish date : 2024-07-05 15:43:31
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