2025 NFL Free Agent Rankings: Safeties
2Y2ADTM Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland (8) reacts and runs onto the field during player introductions before an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Doug Murray)
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PFF.com
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 that we’re at the end of the 2024-25 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 2025. Click here for PFF’s full list of the top 100 free agents.
A second-round draft pick out of Oregon in 2021, Holland has ranked as one of the five highest-graded safeties in two of his first three seasons in the league. He earned a career-low 63.0 PFF overall grade in 2024, but his body of work more than speaks for itself.
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 |
| Jevon Holland | 76.1 | 75.0 | 11.3% | 82.8 | ? |
| Jessie Bates III | 65.7 | 80.3 | 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
A fifth-round draft pick in 2021, Hufanga earned PFF coverage grades above 65.0 in both 2022 and 2023. He played just 308 snaps in 2024 due to injury and earned a career-low 57.8 PFF overall grade.
Top free agent comparison: Jabrill Peppers, 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 |
| Talanoa Hufanga | 54.8 | 62.3 | 0.0% | 80.5 | ? |
| Jabrill Peppers | 59.3 | 51.5 | 2.3% | 81.1 | 4.0% |
*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing
Contract projection: Available in PFF’s free agency rankings
Bynum has made his fair share of game-changing plays through three and a half NFL seasons, with eight career interceptions and a career-best three in 2024. Add in the fact that Bynum’s 104 solo tackles in 2023 led all safeties, and you have a trustworthy player on the back end to keep the offense in front of him and limit big plays.
Top free agent comparison: Nate Allen, 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 |
| Camryn Bynum | 61.9 | 72.0 | 9.8% | 78.0 | ? |
| Nate Allen | 57.6 | 71.1 | 3.5% | 74.6 | 4.0% |
*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing
Contract projection: Available in PFF’s free agency rankings
Reid and his camp were probably happy to see a veteran safety in Budda Baker get rewarded with an extension to the tune of three years, $54 million before testing free agency, with Reid set to hit the open market for a second time after joining the Kansas City Chiefs back in 2022. Reid is one of the better run-defending safeties in the NFL, but as we’ve seen time and time again in Kansas City, the Chiefs are never afraid to cycle through defensive backs and find the next man up.
Top free agent comparison: Kyle Dugger, 2024
| Player | Coverage grade w/ no pressure | Cov. grade on throws in ≤ 3s | Forced incompletion rate | Run-defense grade | APY as % of Cap at signing |
| Justin Reid | 54.0 | 67.7 | 6.1% | 71.6 | ? |
| Kyle Dugger | 58.5 | 55.1 | 5.1% | 82.9 | 5.7% |
*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing
Contract projection: Available in PFF’s free agency rankings
Smith’s age-35 season has him tracking at or close to several statistical milestones for his remarkable career, eclipsing the 35-interception and 20-sack marks and being within reach of 100 passes defensed and 50 tackles for loss. Smith certainly seemed like he would at least contemplate retirement this offseason when interviewed after the Vikings wild-card round exit, but if not, he’ll likely make one last run with the team that drafted him in Minnesota.
Top free agent comparison: Eric Weddle, 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 |
| Harrison Smith | 81.9 | 75.8 | 5.9% | 73.4 | ? |
| Eric Weddle | 78.7 | 81.4 | 7.3% | 76.9 | 2.8% |
*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing
Contract projection: Available in PFF’s free agency rankings
Moehrig has five interceptions and 18 passes defensed over the past two seasons, but he has also shown considerable growth when coming forward to make plays, with three sacks and five quarterback hits over the span. Since 2023, Moehrig is a top-15 safety in interceptions, forced incompletion rate, tackles for loss or no gain and defensive stops.
Top free agent comparison: Tony Jefferson, 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 |
| Tre’von Moehrig | 62.0 | 63.5 | 8.5% | 86.9 | ? |
| Tony Jefferson | 64.3 | 64.9 | 10.3% | 90.3 | 5.1% |
*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing
Contract projection: Available in PFF’s free agency rankings
One of the top ball-hawks of the past decade, Simmons continued his streak of multiple interceptions in every season of his nine-year NFL career after signing with the Atlanta Falcons last offseason. The free-agent market for older safeties can be unkind, but Simmons is still one of the more instinctual and sound defenders on the backend entering Year 10.
Top free agent comparison: Reggie Nelson, 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 |
| Justin Simmons | 63.9 | 81.1 | 15.7% | 66.9 | ? |
| Reggie Nelson | 68.9 | 73.2 | 10.0% | 72.2 | 2.7% |
*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing
Contract projection: Available in PFF’s free agency rankings
Chinn found a home in Dan Quinn’s defense after the Carolina Panthers effectively phased him out at the end of his rookie contract, and he’s still a fiery ball of rage coming forward when playing near the line of scrimmage. Tweener players like Frankie Luvu and Chinn are a staple of Quinn’s defenses across several different coaching stops, but plenty of other teams are also doing a better job of weaponizing the defensive Swiss Army knife types. There is an effective way to deploy Chinn and emphasize his strengths.
Top free agent comparison: D.J. Swearinger Jr., 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 |
| Jeremy Chinn | 61.4 | 64.1 | 7.7% | 73.5 | ? |
| D.J. Swearinger | 64.2 | 86.0 | 25.0% | 70.1 | 2.7% |
*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing
Contract projection: Available in PFF’s free agency rankings
Molden had a great season in a new home with the Los Angeles Chargers, as new defensive coordinator Jesse Minter seemed to get the best out of nearly every player on the roster. The safety trio of Molden, Derwin James and Alohi Gilman worked well together, with differing skill sets allowing them to be deployed creatively. Molden still has coverage chops as a slot defender with a cornerback background, and he consistently made plays on the ball in 2024. Working against him in free agency will be a broken leg sustained in Week 17, so hopefully he can get healthy ahead of the free agency period.
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 |
| Elijah Molden | 67.3 | 64.1 | 8.2% | 71.2 | ? |
| Tavon Wilson | 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
Cisco had the profile of an ascending young playmaker with a knack for flipping the field after posting seven interceptions over the 2023-24 seasons, but his contract year was a bit of a mess as the Jacksonville Jaguars took a step backward of their own. Cisco was seemingly removed from the starting lineup for Weeks 13 and 14, instead rotating in after normally playing nearly every snap, and posted career-low grades almost across the board. That said, we see time and time again what a messy situation can do to talented players, so perhaps a change of scenery could get Cisco’s career back on track.
Top free agent comparison: Juan Thornhill, 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 |
| Andre Cisco | 62.1 | 67.5 | 9.7% | 66.1 | ? |
| Juan Thornhill | 67.0 | 73.6 | 15.9% | 66.3 | 3.1% |
*All data in tables reflects two years prior to UFA contract signing
Contract projection: Available in PFF’s free agency rankings
Blackmon returned to playing almost exclusively a deep safety role after lining up a lot more in the box and slot in 2023. His three interceptions in 2024 gives him seven over the past two seasons. However, a year after Blackmon ranked tied for sixth among safeties with 30 defensive stops, he ranked outside the top 50 with just 12 in 2024, in large part due to his alignment. Blackmon may be a jack of all trades and a master of none, but he’s a good football player.
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 |
| Julian Blackmon | 70.7 | 72.5 | 4.5% | 56.7 | ? |
| 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
