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#119 Overall, Eddie Jackson, Baltimore Ravens, Strong Safety, #8 Safety
2023 Pre-Season Rank #113, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #123, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #127, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #115. Peak Period 2017-21.
After seven seasons in Chicago, Jackson joins the Baltimore Ravens. The Strong Safety was a First Team All-Pro in 2018 and has been to two Pro Bowls. Jackson has not been the same player the last three seasons, but a change of scenery could put him back on course.
#60 Overall, Tyrann Mathieu, New Orleans Saints, Strong Safety, #4 Safety
2023 Pre-Season Rank #67, 2022 Pre-Season Rank #75, 2021 Pre-Season Rank #87, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #103. Peak Period: 2019-23
Mathieu is an intriguing case as he was a surprise All-Decade recipient, but when you gain that honor, you will be forever talked about regarding the Hall. Saying that, his AV/G is well below what a Hall of Famer should be and he has been a Pro Bowler only twice. He is now a three-time First Team All-Pro, a Super Bowl Champion, and has a star aura. This feels like a key year for the Honey Badger to see if there is any legitimate Hall of Fame chance.
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.
#97 Overall, Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans Saints, #7 Cornerback
2023 Pre-Season Rank #98, 2022 Pre-Season Rank: #106, 2021 Pre-Season Rank: #125, 2020 Pre-Season Rank #138. Peak Period 2017-21
The 2017 Defensive Player of the Year was a Pro Bowl Selection four times in his first five seasons, but his last two years have been riddled with injury, and Lattimore’s momentum has been derailed. He has a lot more work to do in the next few seasons to get back on track, but the Saints' defense is expected to be good this year.