The 2026 NFL Draft class has a potentially great safety class, to the point where we could see three safeties drafted in the first round. And not only does this class have talent at the top, it’s a deep depth chart as well. Teams can, and will, find safeties on the second and even third days of this year’s draft who will either be starters or high volume sub-package players.
That could well describe Penn State safety Zakee Wheatley, who’s flying just below the radar of this year’s safety class. He’s a well-regarded as a player and should be a real contributor at the next level, however he’s also a bit in the shadow of the top players at the position.
The New York Giants added a pair of safeties in free agency, but also lost their primary third safety as well. Could Wheatley be an option for them he’s a victim of the numbers game at the position?
Prospect: Zakee Wheatley (5)
Games Watched: vs. Oregon (2025), vs. Ohio State (2025), vs. Iowa (2025)
Measurables
Strengths
Best traits
- Length
- Football IQ
- Processing
- Instincts
- Tackling
- Run Defense
- Coverage
Zakee Wheatley is a good sized, smart, instinctive, and versatile safety prospect.
Wheatley has a solid frame for the position at 6-foot-2, 203 pounds, with enough athleticism to play in the intermediate area of the field as well as enough strength to play in the box.
He’s a physical player who’s willing to fly to the ball, take on blockers, and lay hits in the run game or in space. Wheatley shows the ability to be a good, reliable tackler at the next level. He diagnoses the play quickly and correctly, quickly differentiating between run and pass. He possesses good instincts and reacts very quickly to the play, with a good downhill trigger in the run game or to close on underneath passes.
Wheatley typically takes good, smart angles to the ball, using pathing that typically allows him to break down and tackle with good form to get the ball carrier on the ground. He’s a wrap-up tackler who flashes the ability to use a good closing burst to lay hits coming downhill.
Likewise, Wheatley is an active communicator on the back end who helps keep the structure of the coverage shell intact. He’s able to execute both single and two-deep safety shells, and was also often asked to play a robber role in Penn State’s defense. Wheatley has solid agility and change of direction ability, allowing him to make adjustments at the last second as well as run with tight ends and running backs in coverage.
Weaknesses
Worst traits
- Long speed
- Explosiveness
- Mass
- Missed tackle rate
Wheatley’s biggest weakness is an odd athletic profile.
Wheatley has good size, but a slightly lanky build for a safety of his size. He has neither good long speed nor explosiveness, but has elite speed over intermediate distances. Likewise, he has a poor short shuttle, but a good 3-cone drill, suggesting good change of direction skills, but (again) poor explosiveness.
On the field, Wheatley’s athletic profile shows up as a slight delay in arriving at the play from depth. He can be quick to arrive from 10 or so yards away, but show up a second or two late if he’s coming from 20 yards away. That can limit Wheatley’s ability to make plays on the ball at the catch point or come away with tip drill interceptions.
Likewise, Wheatley is a good tackler… Most of the time. However, he doesn’t quite have the size and power to bring down ball carriers if he doesn’t tackle with great form. That and his athletic profile can lead to a high missed tackle rate.
Game Tape
(Wheatley is the Penn State safety wearing number 6 with black sleeves on his forearms.)
Projection
Zakee Wheatley projects as a third safety at the NFL level, at least to start his career.
Wheatley is a reliable player in both run defense and pass coverage, giving him the versatility to play both a deep and box safety role in Big Nickel personnel groupings. His instincts, processing, and football IQ will allow him to play faster than he times, though teams may still want to avoid him playing as a free safety in a Cover 1 shell.
The evolution of NFL defenses to account for both the intermediate-range passing game and the running game should give Wheatley value for any defense looking to replicate the Seattle Seahawks’ success. While Wheatley isn’t a perfect prospect, he should hear his name called by the end of the third round. If he doesn’t he will be a fantastic value on the third day of the draft.
Does he fit the Giants? Potentially, value permitting
Final Word: A later Day 2 value
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