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#28 Overall, Budda Baker, Arizona Cardinals, Free Safety, #1 Safety
2024 Pre-Season Rank #43, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #78, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #86, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #113, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #147. Peak Period: 2020-24.
Baker is already a seven-time Pro Bowl Selection (with a six-year streak_ and a two-time First Team All-Pro. He is a tackling machine who led the NFL in Solo Tackles in 2019. Although his AV/G is lower than the MPA, his stature among his peers is huge.
The bar for Safeties is high, and Baker (and his peers) have a lot of work to do to gain serious Hall of Fame consideration, but if the NFL were to award All-Half-Decade Awards, Baker would be one. Still under 30, Baker is the prime spot for a coveted All-Decade spot, and when that happens, you are always in consideration.
#43 Overall, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh Steelers, Free Safety, #3 Safety
2024 Pre-Season Rank #56, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #63, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #99, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #108, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #140. Peak Period 2019-23.
Minkah Fitzpatrick was traded back to the team that dealt him to Pittsburgh, the Miami Dolphins, and since he debuted in 2018, he has been one of the top Safeties in Football.
Fitzpatrick went to four Pro Bowls and earned three First Team All-Pros as a Steeler, and earned the reputation of having one of the highest football IQs. Able to shift effortlessly in any Defensive Back position, Fitzpatrick is still in his prime. If he remains healthy and replicates what he did the last five years, Canton should come calling, even though Safeties have a hard time gaining induction.
#94 Overall, Jamal Adams, Las Vegas Raiders, Strong Safety, #5 Safety
2024 Pre-Season Rank #95, 2023 Pre-Season Rank #90, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #86, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #94, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #116. Peak Period: 2018-22
After three seasons, Janal Adams forced his way out of the New York Jets, and the Seattle Seahawks gave up many high picks to get him. After his third straight Pro Bowl season, Adams was not what Seattle had hoped for, and due to injury, he only played 15 Games over the last three years.
He joins Las Vegas this year, hoping to return to the player who set the single-season record for Sacks for a Defensive Back, 9.5.
Modern Positional Average
Safeties: Steve Atwater (2020), Brian Dawkins (2018), John Lynch (2021), Troy Polamalu (2020),
Note that in 2019, all Defensive Backs were grouped together, and were Champ Bailey, Brian Dawkins, Ty Law, Ed Reed, and Aeneas Williams. Cornerbacks and Safeties were split in 2020 but kept at four in both categories to keep everything modern. With the addition of Lynch, we now have four modern Safeties, resulting in significant changes.
Here are the statistics that we are using based on the last group of Safeties to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame:
- Games Played: 182.5
- Approximate Value: 100.3
- Approximate Value per Games Played: 0.6041
- Games Started: 166
- Approximate Value per Games Started: 0.6848
- Approximate Value per Five-Year Peak: 61
- Approximate Value’s Best Five Results: 65
- Pro Bowls: 7.3
- First Team All-Pros*: 3
- Interceptions: 30
- Interceptions Five-Year Peak: 15.5
- Combined Tackles: 913
- Combined Tackles Five-Year Peak: 465.8
- Super Bowl Wins: 1.3
- Super Bowl Appearances: 1.5
*This is an aggregate of the Top Five finishes (5th = 1, 4th = 2, 3rd = 3, 2nd = 4th, 1st = 5)
**This is a reminder that the All-Pros we use are from the AP.