Who are the Best Strong Safeties in the NFL Currently?

The 2024 NFL Season is just about eight weeks away as the back-to-back Super Bowl Champions Kansas City Chiefs are set to open up the season on Thursday Night Football on September 5^th, 2024. As the off-season is in the rearview mirror and 2024 NFL training camps are set to get ready to kickoff, the opportunity to look at the best strong safeties in the NFL has arrived. With the league continuing to evolve the role of the strong safety continues to evolve to include the ability to make plays against the run, the pass as well as to get the quarterback. One of those strong safeties that lands atop the Top 10 Best NFL Strong Safeties 2024 Rankings list that continues to showcase his abilities is Minkah Fitzpatrick of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The former first round pick during the 2018 NFL Draft from the Alabama Crimson Tide continues to rank among the best players in the NFL, year in and year out at his position. Once a former cornerback, Fitzpatrick has led the NFL in interceptions during the 2022 NFL season, been named to four NFL Pro Bowl teams including last season and has also been selected to three First-Team NFL All Pro teams.

Despite being limited to just 10 games last season, Fitzpatrick showcased his talent from start to finish including posting 64 tackles to go with three passes defensed and four stuffs at the line of scrimmage. Joining the Steelers strong safety among the top five entering the 2024 NFL schedule include Kyle Hamilton of the Baltimore Ravens, Derwin James Jr of the Los Angeles Chargers, Kyle Dugger of the New England Patriots, and Jaquan Brisker of the Chicago Bears.

Here is a look at the Top 10 NFL Strong Safeties 2024 Rankings:

Honorable Mention

Grant Delpit

Team: Cleveland Browns

Just missing the Top 10 NFL Strong Safeties 2024 Rankings is the fourth-year strong safety from the LSU Tigers and current Cleveland Browns safety Grant Delpit.

Delpit was a strong contributor to a Browns defense that ranked among the leaders in points allowed, passing yards allowed, and rushing yards allowed for most of the season before a drop off of production during the later part of the 2023 NFL schedule.

Overall, prior to suffering injuries limiting him to just 13 games, the former Tigers safety had produced a strong 77.7 grade from PFF after the first nine games of the schedule.

In the end Delpit finished the season with 80 tackles over 13 total games played to go along with 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, three passes defensed, and a career high 8.5 stuffs.

Tre’von Moehrig

Team: Las Vegas Raiders

Around the landscape of the NFL, a long list of talented stars under the age of 26 with one of those players being Tre’von Moehrig of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Moehrig who was drafted by the Raiders during the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft has slowly developed into an everyday safety for the team while appearing in at least 15 games in each of his first three seasons in the NFL while also posting back-to-back seasons with an overall PFF grade of at least 70.0 including a strong stretch of stellar play to finish out last season.

Moehrig will look to build on a breakout season that included a career high 83 tackles to go along with two sacks, three interceptions, eight passes defended, and two stuffs.

Top 10 NFL Strong Safeties 2024 Rankings

10. Jimmie Ward

Team: Houston Texans

Sliding in at number 10 is the Houston Texans strong safety Jimmie Ward who is entering his second season with the team after spending his first nine seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.

Ward displayed during his limited 10 game season with the Texans last season his leadership qualities and ability to make plays both against the run as well as against the pass.

In just 10 games, Ward finished the season with 50 tackles, one interception and three passes defended. Based on a track record that included three seasons with an overall PFF grade of 89, expectations are high for Ward and the Texans defense in 2024.

JON GREENARD PRESSURE + JIMMIE WARD INT FOR THE WIN 🔥 pic.twitter.com/DTrWzyqI02

— Jordan Pun (@Texans_Thoughts) December 3, 2023

9. Kamren Curl

Team: Los Angeles Rams

Another talented young strong safety getting a new chance to deliver on a new team during the 2024 NFL schedule is the Los Angeles Rams strong safety Kamren Curl.

Curl, who played his first four seasons with the Washington Commanders appeared in 60 games over that stretch while posting 385 career tackles, five sacks, three interceptions, and 14 passes defended.

The struggles of the Commanders defense and the team’s overall success led to the entire defensive unit to struggle at times including Curl. However, the former Arkansas Razorbacks safety still managed to post a career high 115 tackles to go along with a career high five passes defended, 3.5 stuffs, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.

The 25-year-old safety is still showing development from one season to the next which should continue in his first season with the Rams.

8. C.J. Gardner-Johnson

Team: Philadelphia Eagles

After appearing in just three games with the Detroit Lions last season, C.J. Gardner-Johnson will return to the Philadelphia Eagles for another season after a successful campaign with the team during the 2022 NFL Season.

Overall Gardner-Johnson was limited during his play last season posting 17 tackles during the regular season in just three games to go along with three stuffs before returning to help play a roll in the team’s run to the AFC Championship Game.

Prior to his injury-filled season, Gardner-Johnson finished his only season with the Eagles co-leading for the NFL lead with six interceptions.

A healthy return to the field should provide the Eagles with a playmaker at the strong safety position and a player who has shown he can play within the team’s defensive scheme.

7. Harrison Smith

Team: Minnesota Vikings

The ageless wonder Harrison Smith continues to play at a high level despite battling his body getting older. Nonetheless despite being one of the oldest strong safeties to appear among the Top 5 in the NFL entering the 2024 NFL Season, expectations are high for Smith to continue his past success during his 13^th NFL season all of which have been with the Minnesota Vikings.

Smith is coming off a season ranking fifth in the NFL in yards allowed per reception at 8.3 among both strong safeties as well as free safeties.

Overall Smith finished the season with 93 tackles pushing his career total to 1,040 while also adding three sacks, three forced fumbles, three passes defensed, and two stuffs. 

6. Telanoa Hufanga

Team: San Francisco 49ers

Injuries are part of the game of football and that was the case for the fourth-year strong safety for the San Francisco 49ers Telanoa Hufanga. After appearing in 32 games over his first two NFL seasons, Hufanga was limited to just 10 games last season as well as the team’s run to the Super Bowl.

Despite appearing in just 10 games, the former USC Trojans star was able to still post a strong campaign including posting three interceptions, three passes defensed, and 52 tackles over his shortened season.

In addition to those numbers, the 49ers strong safety allowed just one touchdown reception over those 10 games versus a career high six during a full 2022 NFL season while also nearly matching his career high four interceptions.

5. Jaquan Brisker

Team: Chicago Bears

Rounding out the Top 5 on the Top 10 NFL Strong Safeties 2024 Rankings list is the Chicago Bears third year strong safety Jaquan Brisker. Brisker has been a staple within the Bears defense posting 209 total tackles over his first two seasons including 105 during the 2023 NFL season.

Overall, the former Penn State Nittany Lions star continued to show development all season long playing in a young Bears defense that featured an extensive list of issues all season.

Nonetheless Brisker put together a strong season to go along with the tackles and a stat line to feature one sack, two forced fumbles, one interception, and nine passes defended while appearing in 15 games for the Bears across the season.

As the future looks bright for the Bears the team’s defense will continue to rely on Brisker to take another big step forward during the 2024 NFL season.

4. Kyle Dugger

Team: New England Patriots

A name that might not get the recognition deserved at the strong safety position in the NFL is Kyle Dugger of the New England Patriots. Dugger, who played for Len-Rhyme, a small school during his college tenure, has been a staple within the Patriots secondary since being drafted during the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

After appearing in at least 14 games in each of his first three seasons, Dugger put together a full 17 NFL season last year while posting a career high 109 tackles to go along with two interceptions and seven passes defended.

In the run game Dugger posted six stuffs while also forcing one fumble while also recording 1.5 total sacks. The strong play all season landed him among the best ranked run-defense safeties with a 79.6 grade from PFF. 

3. Derwin James Jr.

Team: Los Angeles Chargers

Another strong safety that made the case to land among the best in the NFL is the Los Angeles Chargers star Derwin James Jr. James Jr who is entering his sixth NFL season, put together another strong season at the position despite seeing his overall PFF grade dropped to a career low 60.1, it is hard to say the talented playmaker is not the same playmaker while the entire Chargers defense showcased struggles all season last year.

Ultimately the former Florida State Seminoles star posted a career high 125 tackles to go along with two sacks, two forced fumbles, one interception, seven passes defended, and four stuffs.

With Jim Harbaugh taking over as the head coach, look for the Chargers star defender to bounce back with another big season.

DERWIN JAMES JR!!

pic.twitter.com/jOpaCyvmjO

— ًBoltUpYo (@BoltUpYo) October 30, 2023

2. Kyle Hamilton

Team: Baltimore Ravens

One of three strong safeties that could have easily landed atop the list is the Baltimore Ravens strong safety Kyle Hamilton. Hamilton, who the team drafted in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, has blossomed into a star at the safety position and a player who can do it all on the defensive side of the football earning him an overall 86.4 grade from PFF for his performance on the football field last season.

Over 15 games last season, Hamilton made plays all over the field including posting a career high three sacks as well as his first four interceptions of his young career.

The numbers don’t stop, as the Ravens star posted 81 tackles, 13 passes defended, seven stops, one forced fumble, and an interception returned for a touchdown. The strong play on the field landed Hamilton his first selection as an NFL First-Team All-Pro as well as his first NFL Pro Bowl selection.

1. Minkah Fitzpatrick

Team: Pittsburgh Steelers

In at number one on the Top 10 NFL Strong Safeties 2024 Rankings list is the Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick, who is entering seventh NFL season, will look to continue to build on his strong start of his NFL resume.

Over his first 89 games within the NFL, the former Alabama Crimson Tide star has racked up a stat line to include 50 career passes defended, 19 interceptions, and four career defensive touchdowns.

Overall Fitzpatrick posted a strong run defense grade from PFF of over 80 and should return to a stronger pass defense player at full health this season.

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