2019 NFL Draft: Finalized top 50 big board, positional rankings

Safeties

1. (17) Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Florida

First round grade

Chauncey Gardner-Johnson gets one of only 17 first round grades on this big board. At Florida, CGJ played cornerback, free safety and strong safety for the Gators, and while taking his lumps, has put it all together.

Putting together the best season of his collegiate career in 2018, Gardner-Johnson tallied 71 total tackles, nine tackles behind the line, three sacks, four picks and two defensive touchdowns. Stuffing the stat sheet, Gardner-Johnson also went to the combine and ran a sub-4.5-second 40-yard dash, hit 36 inches on his vertical and posted average agility in both the 20-yard shuttle and the 3-cone drill.

At nearly 5-11 and 210 pounds, CGJ has a ton of range and looks to be a swiss army knife at the next level.

2. (26) Nasir Adderley, Delaware

Second round grade

Nasir Adderley out of Delaware is another defensive back who played both corner and safety in college but translates better at safety in the NFL. Adderley projects to be more of an angel of the defense than a box safety, but has enough versatility to succeed in both man or zone coverage. With Adderley, there are no worries about his ability to stick with tight ends and running backs in the passing game.

3. (35) Juan Thornhill, Virginia

Second round grade

A riser after testing off the charts at the combine, Virginia’s Juan Thornhill ranks as the third safety on this big board. He is another versatile safety who can play over the top or in the box, Thornhill tallied 98 total tackles, four and a half tackles for loss, as well as six interceptions in 2018. While he has range and athleticism to cover ground, his ability to stick an opponent in man coverage is a question mark.

4. (41) Darnell Savage, Maryland

Third round grade

Darnell Savage may have the most upside of any of these safeties as he is explosive and is not afraid to lay the boom. He is, however, raw and may need some time to groom. The Cleveland Browns, who have two veteran safeties already on the roster would be an ideal situation for Savage to fall into. Getting first round buzz just days before the draft, he earns a third round grade here.

5. (47) Johnathan Abram, Mississippi State

Third round grade

While others are much higher on Johnathan Abram, he does not have the explosiveness necessary to cover ground in the NFL. While he ran a 4.44-second 40-yard dash, his leaping ability is suspect, hitting just 33.5 inches on his vertical and 9-8 on his broad jump. He did not do any agility tests either, raising even more concerns around Abram’s athleticism. With too much uncertainty, he earns a third round grade.