2024 NFL Free Agency Rankings: Safeties

2TCPKJP Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (31) works during the first half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023, in Atlanta. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won 29-25. (AP Photo/Danny Karnik)

NFL free agency is a year-round process, as teams scout opposing players in an effort to defeat them during the year and perhaps sign them in the offseason.

Now we're at the end of the 2023-24 NFL season, the free agency picture is coming into focus, and teams are beginning to identify potential targets to improve their roster weaknesses.

Here are the top safeties slated to hit free agency in 2024. Click here for PFF's full list of the top 200 free agents.

1. S ANTOINE WINFIELD JR.TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

2024 Free agency rank: 8

Winfield can line up in the box, take on receivers in the slot and play as a roaming deep-third free safety, finding success in single-high and two-high coverage shells. The former second-round pick is a difference-maker on the backend, and his remarkable versatility carries value at a position that appreciates it more than perhaps any other.

Top free agent comparison: Jessie Bates III, 2023
Player Coverage grade w/ no pressure Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s Forced incompletion rate Run-defense grade APY as % of Cap at signing
Antoine Winfield Jr. 73.2 71.3 9.0% 93.4 ?
Jessie Bates III 65.7 80.9 5.7% 78.1 7.1%

*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing

Contract projection: Available in PFF's free agency rankings


2. S KYLE DUGGERNEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

2024 Free agency rank: 20

Dugger is in the mold of the safety-linebacker hybrid that former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick loved as more teams shifted to dime packages and big dime looks with three safeties. Dugger fits in the run game as well as any defensive back in football, and he’s not a total liability in coverage, particularly against bigger slot receivers and tight ends, but it’s not exactly a strength.

Top free agent comparison: Dashon Goldson, 2013
Player Coverage grade w/ no pressure Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s Forced incompletion rate Run-defense grade APY as % of Cap at signing
Kyle Dugger 61.2 54.1 3.8% 82.3 ?
Dashon Goldson 50.1 44.1 6.2% 80.7 6.7%

*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing

Contract projection: Available in PFF's free agency rankings


3. S KAMREN CURLWASHINGTON COMMANDERS

2024 Free agency rank: 21

Curl has quietly been one of the more underrated players in the NFL over the past several seasons, with his status as a seventh-rounder and his name getting lost in the shuffle on a defense that, up until this year’s trade deadline, was riddled with first-round talent.

Curl can line up anywhere and is as consistent as safeties come on a down-to-down basis, possessing good instincts and a clear understanding of how to manipulate leverage and angles in the open field.

Top free agent comparison: Rodney McLeod, 2016
Player Coverage grade w/ no pressure Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s Forced incompletion rate Run-defense grade APY as % of Cap at signing
Kamren Curl 81.1 85.7 7.3% 79.1 ?
Rodney McLeod 78.7 88.2 3.7% 76.7 4.5%

*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing

Contract projection: Available in PFF's free agency rankings


4. S XAVIER MCKINNEYNEW YORK GIANTS

2024 Free agency rank: 43

McKinney’s coverage grades as a free safety (81.4) and in the box (79.4) are top-10 marks among safeties in 2023, and there is a big enough sample size of box play despite his general deployment as a deep player. Over the past three seasons, McKinney’s 7.0 yards allowed per target in coverage ranks top-25 among safeties, and his 17 combined interceptions and forced incompletions put him in the top 20.

While he could make more plays at or near the line of scrimmage, he rarely whiffs on open-field tackles. The 24-year-old has missed just 7.8% of his tackle attempts over his career, 11th-best among 89 safeties with at least 100 tackles over the past four seasons, making him a reliable enough last line of defense.

Top free agent comparison: John Johnson III, 2021
Player Coverage grade w/ no pressure Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s Forced incompletion rate Run-defense grade APY as % of Cap at signing
Xavier McKinney 83.8 88.4 8.4% 70.5 ?
John Johnson III 79.4 74.2 7.7% 69.5 3.4%

*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing

Contract projection: Available in PFF's free agency rankings


In his first season playing in a full-time role on a defense that deploys three-safety looks as much as any team in the NFL, Stone boasted an 84.9 PFF coverage grade in the regular season that ranked seventh at the position and brought in a position-leading seven interceptions.

The knocks on Stone will be about his lack of deployment in the box or the slot and his poor run defense and tackling, missing 19% of tackle opportunities this season.

Top free agent comparison: Duron Harmon, 2017
Player Coverage grade w/ no pressure Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s Forced incompletion rate Run-defense grade APY as % of Cap at signing
Geno Stone 84.9 82.6 1.9% 42.9 ?
Duron Harmon 76.9 80.3 6.3% 47.5 2.5%

*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing

Contract projection: Available in PFF's free agency rankings


Blackmon started for two seasons in college at cornerback, and he has logged more than 350 slot snaps since 2022. In Gus Bradley’s Cover 3-heavy scheme, Blackmon spent plenty of time as a single-high safety. Almost half of his snaps were down in the box in 2023.

Blackmon appears to be a better fit near the line of scrimmage due to his average recovery speed, but his plus lateral movement and solid ball skills from his days spent as a cornerback show up more often when closer to the line of scrimmage. Blackmon’s 30 defensive stops in 2023 were more than his career total before this season, and he missed a career-low 7.4% of tackle opportunities.

Top free agent comparison: Jayron Kearse, 2022
Player Coverage grade w/ no pressure Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s Forced incompletion rate Run-defense grade APY as % of Cap at signing
Julian Blackmon 63.7 60.3 2.7% 66.6 ?
Jayron Kearse 60.8 63.7 9.4% 64.6 2.4%

*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing

Contract projection: Available in PFF's free agency rankings


Fuller is a ball-hawking free safety who spends the majority of his time patrolling his deep quarter, as the Rams have deployed as many two-high safety looks as any team in the NFL over the past few years. Fuller has good ball-tracking ability and times his jumps well, contesting at the catch point but avoiding penalties.

He runs the alley well and doesn’t miss many tackle attempts. He’s not necessarily crashing and making plays at or behind the line of scrimmage often, but he’s a sound tackler and a reliable last line of defense when called upon.

Top free agent comparison: Chris Conte, 2016
Player Coverage grade w/ no pressure Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s Forced incompletion rate Run-defense grade APY as % of Cap at signing
Jordan Fuller 57.3 67.7 14.9% 82.7 ?
Chris Conte 67.5 73.0 7.7% 78.7 1.9%

*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing

Contract projection: Available in PFF's free agency rankings


Whitehead is a great fit in a defense that predominantly deploys single-high looks, bringing solid ball skills as the deep-third center-fielder over the past few seasons in addition to his true strength as a box defender roaming near the line of scrimmage. Whitehead has multiple interceptions in four straight seasons to go along with 20-plus defensive stops in every campaign of his career.

The primary knock on Whitehead is that he’s prone to missing tackles in one-on-one situations, at times taking questionable angles or overshooting an opportunity. The 2018 fourth-round pick of the Buccaneers will be only 27 years old for the duration of the 2024 season, his seventh at the NFL level.

Top free agent comparison: Bradley McDougald, 2018
Player Coverage grade w/ no pressure Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s Forced incompletion rate Run-defense grade APY as % of Cap at signing
Jordan Whitehead 69.4 66.1 9.0% 64.3 ?
Bradley McDougald 67.3 79.4 12.2% 64.9 2.5%

*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing

Contract projection: Available in PFF's free agency rankings


9. S C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Detroit Lions

2024 Free agency rank: 101
Top free agent comparison: Keanu Neal, 2021
Player Coverage grade w/ no pressure Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s Forced incompletion rate Run-defense grade APY as % of Cap at signing
C.J. Gardner- Johnson 71.2 60.2 6.6% 59.0 ?
Keanu Neal 70.4 67.5 1.5% 64.9 2.2%

*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing

Contract projection: Available in PFF's free agency rankings


10. S Deshon Elliott, Miami Dolphins

2024 Free agency rank: 135
Top free agent comparison: Louis Delmas, 2015
Player Coverage grade w/ no pressure Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s Forced incompletion rate Run-defense grade APY as % of Cap at signing
DeShon Elliott 66.3 59.2 12.3% 78.3 ?
Louis Delmas 69.4 60.3 6.0% 65.3 1.7%

*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing

Contract projection: Available in PFF's free agency rankings


11. S Tashaun Gipson, San Francisco 49ers

2024 Free agency rank: 136
Top free agent comparison: Mike Adams, 2015
Player Coverage grade w/ no pressure Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s Forced incompletion rate Run-defense grade APY as % of Cap at signing
Tashaun Gipson 63.8 76.8 7.0% 90.5 ?
Mike Adams 58.0 80.5 4.4% 81.5 1.5%

*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing

Contract projection: Available in PFF's free agency rankings


12. S Alohi Gilman, Los Angeles Chargers

2024 Free agency rank: 137
Top free agent comparison: Tre Boston, 2019
Player Coverage grade w/ no pressure Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s Forced incompletion rate Run-defense grade APY as % of Cap at signing
Alohi Gilman 85.8 90.6 14.8% 71.2 ?
Tre Boston 89.8 87.8 19.0% 67.1 1.1%

*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing

Contract projection: Available in PFF's free agency rankings


13. S Darnell Savage, Green Bay Packers

2024 Free agency rank: 145
Top free agent comparison: J.J. Wilcox, 2017
Player Coverage grade w/ no pressure Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s Forced incompletion rate Run-defense grade APY as % of Cap at signing
Darnell Savage 66.2 69.0 13.0% 66.0 ?
J.J. Wilcox 66.9 75.8 11.4% 53.3 1.9%

*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing

Contract projection: Available in PFF's free agency rankings


14. S Mike Edwards, Kansas City Chiefs

2024 Free agency rank: 148
Top free agent comparison: Tashaun Gipson, 2020
Player Coverage grade w/ no pressure Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s Forced incompletion rate Run-defense grade APY as % of Cap at signing
Mike Edwards 60.1 61.8 6.9% 45.3 ?
Tashaun Gipson 59.9 63.0 9.8% 61.4 1.4%

*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing

Contract projection: Available in PFF's free agency rankings


15. S Jeremy Chinn, Carolina Panthers

2024 Free agency rank: 150
Top free agent comparison: Andrew Sendejo, 2016
Player Coverage grade w/ no pressure Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s Forced incompletion rate Run-defense grade APY as % of Cap at signing
Jeremy Chinn 57.2 56.4 8.3% 52.0 ?
Andrew Sendejo 57.4 63.8 5.6% 65.5 2.6%

*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing

Contract projection: Available in PFF's free agency rankings

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