Welcome to our breakdown of 2026 Rookie IDP Safety Risers & Fallers After The NFL Draft!
They say that music soothes the savage beast. (It’s actually misquoted, but the point still stands.) For me, it’s anything from that golden era of the 1960s-1970s records that does it.
Drop the needle on 1969: Arguably, the greatest year of music historians rank as the album year by sheer excellence.
History proves that the same year of Woodstock, the moon landing, correlates with a tidal wave of landmark albums that redefined everything: The Beatles’ Abbey Road, Led Zeppelin’s debut, The Rolling Stones’ Let It Bleed, The Who’s Tommy, and, of course, CCR dropping bangers like Green River.
Another tier follows with Bob Dylan’s Nashville Skyline, Neil Young’s Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, South Park Chef’s very own Isaac Hayes’ Hot Buttered Soul, rounding out an impressive music draft class.
Fast-forward to the 2026 NFL Draft Safety class: Where it’s music to my ears all over again. This group is 1969 DNA all over again in the secondary. Frequently ranked as the #1 safety class in recent memory, with massive cultural moments (historic Combine speed, record depth, three-down range everywhere), and a lineup of landmark talents ready to soundtrack IDP dominance for years.
These safeties aren’t here to play background; they’re dropping classics: Caleb Downs (Ohio State) as the Abbey Road-level consensus king, instinctive, versatile, and already top-15 overall buzz. Dillon Thieneman (Oregon) blasting like it’s Led Zeppelin’s debut…. freakazoid speed, vertical, and ball skills. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (Toledo) channeling Let It Bleed’s edge with length and production. The depth is a CCR triple-album! Names like A.J. Haulcy (LSU), Kamari Ramsey (USC), Zakee Wheatley (Penn State), Genesis Smith (Arizona), and more are stacking sub-4.45 speed, elite jumps, rising like a bad moon.
I’m @RealIDPHunter, and we’re cranking the volume on a defensive backfield masterpiece. Here are my post-draft 2026 Safety Rankings: Biggest Risers. Time to renew the vinyl. Single-high relics? Get remixed or replaced. Veteran deep-third guys are fading like scratched LPs as this new wave is here to drop classics
| Name | College | Height (ft) | Weight (lbs) | 40 Time | Vert | Catch Rate Allowed | YDs Allowed | TDs Allowed | Pass Breakups | INTs | Miss% | Stops | Box Snaps | Deep Snaps | SPT Exp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caleb Downs | Ohio St | 5’11 | 206 | 66.7 | 171 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 11.5 | 9 | 354 | 241 | 122 | ||
| Dillon Thieneman | Oregon | 6’0″ | 201 | 4.35 | 41 | 5 | 16.5 | 35 | 5 | 33 | 247 | ||||
| Emmanuel McNeil-Warren | Toledo | 6’3″ | 201 | 4.52 | 4 | 15.8 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 450 | |||||
| Zakee Wheatley | Penn St | 6’3″ | 203 | 32.5 | 78 | 193 | 36 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 220 | |||
| A.J. Haulcy | LSU | 6’2″ | 202 | 4.52 | 60.6 | 265 | 4 | 3 | 68 | 4 | 197 | ||||
| Keionte Scott | Miami (FL) | 5’11” | 193 | 4.34 | 68.8 | 322 | 0 | 4 | 29.3 | 36 | 196 |
Caleb Downs, S, Dallas Cowboys
The best player at his position goes to the best landing spot. Selected by the Dallas Cowboys with the 11th overall pick to help turn around the Cowboys’ defense, which ranked 32nd in the NFL.
Christian Parker, the Cowboys’ new defensive coordinator, knows a thing or two about getting the best out of defensive backs. Widely regarded as a DB guru at just 34 years old, Parker built his reputation as a secondary coach with the Denver Broncos (where he helped Justin Simmons earn All-Pro honors and multiple Pro Bowl nods) and also as passing game coordinator and DBs coach with the Philadelphia Eagles (where he developed Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean and is creditted with improving Reed Blankenship’s game) This landing spot is ideal fit to unlock Downs’ ceiling right away in Dallas’ secondary.
This is a highly anticipated pick, and for Defensive Back enthusiasts, Caleb Downs has already proven to be a true IDP chess piece who can be moved all over the field, and his usage data backs it up. In 2025, he logged 241 snaps in the box, 146 in the slot, 9 at wide corner, and 240 at free safety, showing a balanced split between box and deep responsibilities. In 2024, that versatility was even more pronounced with 339 snaps in the box, 160 in the slot, 11 at wide corner, and 339 at free safety.
That kind of deployment highlights how his defense trusts him as a movable weapon rather than a fixed role player, which is exactly the type of usage that creates consistent IDP production from the DB1 in this draft class.
Dillon Thieneman, S, Chicago Bears
A first-round safety is going to step in and contribute from Day 1, and this is exactly the type of player who can make an immediate impact. He’s an athletic defensive back who ran a 4.35 at the Combine, showing elite range, coverage ability, and standout testing speed. Evaluators consistently point to his high character and playmaking instincts, and he’s widely viewed as the clear No. 2 safety in the class behind Downs.
The fit makes even more sense when you look at the situation he’s walking into. With the team moving on from Kevin Byard, who led the league in interceptions, the secondary needs a new anchor. The depth chart is open enough for him to step in right away as a starter, and his skill set lines up perfectly with a Brisker-type role for Bears fans. In a division where the Packers, Lions, and Vikings all feature wide receiver-heavy offenses, safety becomes an obvious need, which is why he profiles as the next-best option at the position and a strong candidate to start immediately.
A.J Haulcy, S, Indianapolis Colts
Did I shock you with this selection? Here me out. The Colts selected Haulcy in the 3rd round, despite most experts grading him as a 2nd-round pick. That value allows him to secure one of the better landing spots at a discount. Pairing him with Cam Bynum, Haulcey could do it all against the run or the pass: 10 interceptions with 300 career tackles in four seasons.
I get it that other players may have been taken ahead of him in the NFL Draft, but IDP context matters. As of right now, Haulcey is the only safety listed as the starting box safety on his team’s depth chart, and that’s the position you want in IDP. It’s likely the team plugs him into the role Nick Cross previously held when he left in free agency.
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Cleveland Browns
Grant Delpit, who becomes a free agent next season, has officially been put on notice. An elite prospect who played over 60 percent of his snaps from the box and often showcases that he is a rangy safety with ball and coverage skills. He can contribute in sub-packages right away, which makes him an IDP asset worth acquiring when the Defensive Back run happens in the third round.
Jackson and play on special teams. He has sleeper appeal in deeper leagues. You can probably get him as a free agent after your rookie draft.
Treydan Stukes, DB, Las Vegas Raiders
Stukes got strong draft capital in the 2nd round and is a Swiss Army knife; he has played Safety/Corner/Box Safety. In fact, 95% of his snaps are either in the slot/box. He excels at setting the edge and making plays on the quarterback. He also has four interceptions, so he will be interested in the many ways he could impact the game.
Jakobe Thomas, S, Minnesota Vikings
There’s an idea that maybe, just maybe, Jakobe Thomas might be one of Minnesota’s long-term answers at safety, potentially even a future replacement for Harrison Smith.
Known as LOS defender, where he plays the majority of snaps (49%), there. But he is currently a depth piece behind Theo Jackson, and Josh Mettellus is known to steal snaps, and the aforementioned Harrison Smith is still here.
He’ll be buried for a minute here, but this is a sneaky add for IDP managers who play in deep enough leagues and like to taxi stash the position.
Mansoor Delane, CB, Chiefs
Our first true corner to make this list. Kansas City lost four defensive backs this offseason, including three cornerbacks, leaving a clear void in the secondary. This defense has historically made the cornerback position a strong IDP asset, with players like L’Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie thriving in this system.
Delane fits that same mold and has widely been viewed as one of the nation’s top consensus cornerbacks. He brings a long, technical frame, strong instincts, and elite ball skills, backed by 11 pass breakups in 2025 without allowing a touchdown and with minimal penalty issues. He’s comfortable in both press and off coverage, and projects as a true No. 1 boundary corner with legitimate shutdown ability.
The only caveat from an IDP perspective is that even high-end corner talent doesn’t always translate into consistent fantasy production, especially in systems where quarterbacks avoid them. The talent and role are there, but the IDP payoff can still be volatile depending on how opposing offenses choose to attack him.
Bud Clark, S, Seattle Seahawks
Bud Clark was a player I didn’t dig into heavily pre-draft, but the production profile is hard to ignore. Over his career, he totaled 15 interceptions and broke up 21 additional passes, showing clear ball-hawking ability. He’s coming off a strong 2025 season with 4 interceptions and 7 pass breakups.
In 2025, he posted a 7.7% tackle rate while being used all over the defense—313 snaps in the slot and another 250 in the box. That usage profile is very similar to what we’ve seen from Nick Emmanwori, giving Seattle flexibility with two very different safety archetypes.
The Seahawks can deploy Emmanwori in more of a nickel/slot-heavy role while Clark has the freedom to rotate deep or play downhill in the box. Mike Macdonald now has two interchangeable but distinct safety tools to mix and match creatively. It’s also a favorable landing spot, with a realistic path to a starting job as he competes with Ty Okada and Julian Love, who plays safety playing free deep zone. I don’t have an interest in most leagues.
Jalon Kilgore, S, Buffalo Bills
The Bills are now a 3-4 defense, so perhaps a scheme retooling is needed. How many of its former players will be changed out remains to be seen. Currently, Cole Beasley is ahead of Kilgore on the Depth chart, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson fills in on nickel sub-packages. This could make for an interesting camp battle. Projects as a depth piece for now.
Zakee Wheatley, S, Carolina Panthers
One thing worth noting is that the Panthers even traded up, which may very well signal a plan for him.
Wheatley is a strong tackle who rarely misses a tackle (59 solos). My DB4 post draft. The only issue here is his landing spot. Tre’von Moehrig, Nick Scott, and Lathan Ransom are going to get the majority of snaps early on. He’ll have to fight for every meaningful rep to be relevant in his rookie season. Like a few others on that list, there is some long-term dynasty stash appeal.
Honorable Mentions: Deep Flyers
D’Angelo Ponds, DB, Jets
If not for his size (5’9), he had all the metrics to be considered the top defensive back in this draft class. Could be in line for a huge slot role. The scheme will vary its range of outcomes.
Jermod McCoy, CB, Tampa Bay
Commonly regarded as one of the best cornerbacks in a deep draft class. The problem is the Bucs have four of them, so I don’t see him playing much. McCoy has elite length and physicality for press-man coverage.
