I could write this article probably 10 times and switch safety for a different position, but this time we’ll focus on safety.
The Las Vegas Raiders system from 2025 to 2026 is going to change, beyond their switch of a 4-3 base to a 3-4 base, while the unit likely will remain in nickel majority of the time they’re going to need to address a few key positions especially safety. Jeremy Chinn has played his best football when allowed to play close to the LOS as a nickel linebacker which allows the team
to still run two safeties over the top in coverage as well. Isaiah Pola-Mao, just 27 years old, did sign a 2 year, 7.45 million contract before the 2025 season but he struggled immensely in 2025 allowing 27 receptions, 365 yards, five touchdowns, and a 115.1 QBR. Additionally, Pola-Mao missed 19.4% of his tackle attempts while adding two interceptions and four breakups. Pola-Mao played the most snaps in his career in 2025, and while he’s been a quality depth safety, he’s struggled with his play as a full time starting safety. Pola-Mao started to do better when he was able to play roughly a 40/60 split between nickel linebacker and FS instead of the true centerfield safety he was asked to do in the first five weeks.
Coby Bryant, Seattle Seahawks
Market Value: 4 years, 44 million (11M AAV) with 31M guaranteed
The former Cincinnati Bearcat is the former teammate of Raiders receiver Tre Tucker, and fellow free agent Alec Pierce. Bryant, a 4th round selection in 2022 turns 27 this month and is coming off a career best season where he logged 18 starts over 18 games recording four interceptions, ten breakups, a forced fumble, 76 tackles, and five for loss. Across the last two seasons, Bryant has logged seven interceptions and 15 breakups. Through 2025 he allowed just 18 receptions on 29 targets, for 232 yards, three touchdowns, and an 82 QBR with a 79.2 QBR across the last two seasons. Bryant has had a tendency to miss tackles in his career with a 18.7% rate in 2025 and a career 15% missed tackle rate, however he shows elite downfield coverage and has the athleticism to play sideline to sideline as a true centerfield safety. Bryant is an impact run defender, and despite his missed tackles works well downhill, diagnoses the run well, and can find his way to the backfield often. Bryant converted to safety the last two seasons and has seen a massive uptick in performance.
Bryan Cook, Kansas City Chiefs
Market Value: 3 years, 36 million (12M AAV) with 22.5M guaranteed
The two time Super Bowl champion, Cook is just 26 years old and the 6’1, 206-pound safety won’t turn 27 till September. Cook has appeared in 62 of a possible 68 games through four seasons with 47 starts. He’s coming off a 2025 season where he logged 85 tackles, a TFL, and six breakups. Additionally, Cook allowed 21 receptions for 182 yards, three touchdowns, and a 98.1 QBR. In his career, Cook has allowed a 102.1 QBR and a missed tackle rate of 8.1% including just a 5.3% missed tackle rate in 2025. Cook has had his ups and down through his career, mainly working well when lined up at a true free safety role but he’s also shown versatility working at strong safety and in the nickel. Cook is young, shows upside, and does demonstrate good coverage skills though he lacks the consistent plays on the ball you’d want from a starting free safety.
Kamren Curl, Los Angeles Rams
Market Value: 2 years, 17 million (8.5M AAV) with 13M guaranteed
Curl signed well below value in 2025 to join the Rams, and the former 7th rounder should cash in this off-season before turning 27 at the end of the month. The 6’2, 207-pound safety has a career 93 games with 86 starts, and is coming off a 149 tackle, three interception, 11 breakup, and 2 sack season in 2025. Curl has 100+ tackles in three of his five NFL seasons, a career five interceptions, and 28 breakups as well, while making a massive impact in the Rams 2025 postseason run. Curl has versatility that Leonard could look to deploy in his system, having over 2100 snaps at strong safety and 2600 at free safety, with another 100 at nickel corner. Curl tackles well with just an 8% rate in 2025, and a career 10.2% rate. The soon-to-be 27 year old does well in coverage, showing good range and playmaking instincts in the backend. He allowed a career 80.3 QBR in 2025, though he posts a 111.9 QBR in his career in coverage. Curl is a formidable run defending first safety, but demonstrates strong coverage skills and instincts though with Las Vegas likely needing to refine their backend coverage, a true coverage safety is likely the first step.
Jalen Thompson, Arizona Cardinals
Market Value: 2 years, 20 million (10M AAV) with 15M guaranteed
Thompson, a former supplemental round selection, turns 28 in July and is coming off a 2025 where he posted 95 tackles, two for loss, and six breakups. He has a career nine interceptions, 37 breakups, and 578 tackles with true versatility between strong and free safety and another 29% of his snaps coming at nickel corner as well. The 5’11, 196-pound safety showcases consistent tackling with a career 6.9% missed tackle rate and also good coverage traits. He’s allowed four seasons with a sub 85 QBR, including a 92.8 QBR and 308 yards on 31 receptions in 2025. Thompson showcases the traits and youth that Las Vegas should be looking for, with good instincts, athleticism, and playmaking ability as a coverage defender. Additionally, Thompson has remained fairly healthy in his career missing an average of 1-2 games a year.
Reed Blankenship, Philadelphia Eagles
Market Value: 3 years, 21 million (7M AAV) with 13.5M guaranteed
Blankenship, a former UDFA, is coming off the worst season of his career allowing 33 receptions, 383 yards, 4 touchdowns, and a 116.5 QBR along with being one of the NFL’s lowest graded safeties. He added an interception and four breakups, though he’s posted a career nine interceptions, 23 breakups, and 308 tackles with another two forced fumbles, four breakups, and 50 tackles in the post-season. Blankenship has allowed a sub 75 QBR in two of his four seasons, with a 100+ in the other two. He’s been a sound tackler most of his career having a 9.8% missed tackle rate in his career, though he missed 17% in 2024. Blankenship plays well when he works in a role allowing him to be a true downfield safety being patient and working to make a play on the ball. He’s a fluid mover in space, shows good athleticism, and can impact the game in multiple phases. Las Vegas needs to add talent to their secondary, and the 27 year old could provide upside to the teams secondary in a system allowing him to be patient and make a play on the ball.
Alohi Gilman, Baltimore Ravens
Market Value: 2 years, 13 million (6.5M AAV) with 9M guaranteed
New Raiders safeties coach Matt Robinson worked closely with Alohi Gilman last season in his time with the Baltimore Ravens, and Gilman could follow him to Las Vegas. The former Notre Dame product will turn 29 in September, and at 5’10, 201 pounds has carved out a successful NFL career. Gilman is coming off a 2025 season where he posted nine breakups, a touchdown, forced fumble, and 90 tackles while missing 11.8% of his attempts. Additionally, Gilman allowed 28 receptions, 408 yards, two touchdowns, and a 116.7 QBR. In his career, Gilman has allowed a 89.1 QBR including three seasons below 85 QBR and one at a 50.6 QBR in 2024. Gilman showcases his best traits when working in a strong safety role, able to work near the LOS but still showcase ability moving backwards in coverage. He’s a very capable run defender, and 2025 was his worst season in coverage through his entire NFL career, largely in part to his start with the Chargers. Gilman is relatively young, is likely looking at a lower end contract, and can be a productive strong safety option for Las Vegas to help add talent to the secondary.
Nick Cross, Indianapolis Colts
Market Value: 3 years, 36 million (12M AAV) with 21M guaranteed
Cross, just 24 years old, will turn 25 in September and at 6’0, 212- pounds likely is one of the top safeties on the market as well. Cross, easily the youngest of the free agent safeties, is a former 2022 3rd rounder and is coming off a 2025 season where he logged 120 tackles, five for loss, six breakups, and an interception. In the last two seasons, Cross has 246 tackles, 11 TFL, 11 PBU, 2 forced fumbles, 3.5 sacks, and four interceptions along with just a 7.5% missed tackle rate. 2025 was the worst season of Cross’ career in coverage largely switching systems requiring him to play less in the slot and at free safety, and more of a traditional straight up strong safety position under Lou Anaromou. Cross has done best in his career when able to work 40% of the time at both strong safety and free safety and the remaining 20 in the nickel. He’s an elite run defender, showing exceptional instincts, athleticism, and a violent downhill trigger to get to the LOS and backfield on a play. In coverage, Cross has done well when working in short drops mainly on the boundary having allowed a 92.8 QBR in his career, though he’s been highly productive on the ball as well. The Raiders need to get young sustainable talent, and while Cross does play more of a role in a strong safety position instead of the downfield centerfield role, he’d provide youth and quality play in multiple phases of the game.
Jaylinn Hawkins, New England Patriots
Market Value: 3 years, 30 million (10M AAV) with 20M guaranteed
Hawkins has bounced around the NFL after starting his career with the Falcons from 2020-2023 before landing with the Chargers and now Patriots. He’s coming off his best season with 71 tackles, three for loss, nine breakups, and four interceptions while also adding 15 tackles, two breakups, and a QB hits in four playoff games. The 28 year old will turn 29 in August, and at 6’1, 208-pounds does also provide versatility having mainly lined up as a true free safety this season for New England in his most successful season. Hawkins can work at strong safety and in the slot, but does best when allowed to be an over the top traditional free safety. Through his career, Hawkins has done well vs the run, mainly making his mark as a run defending first safety with a 9.5% missed tackle rate including a career best 8% in 2025. Hawkins allowed just 22 receptions on 33 targets for 254 yards, three touchdowns, and a 80.4 QBR. In four of his six seasons, Hawkins has allowed a QBR below 80, though 2025 was his 2nd highest snap count in his career. Hawkins has been a proven free safety in his career, does well in a system allowing him to work over the top, and also showcases excellent instincts. He’s a slight risk given the limited snap counts, but at just 28 years old Hawkins projects to be an impactful free agent.
Ar’Darius Washington, Baltimore Ravens
Market Value: 1 year, 3.85 million with 3.2M guaranteed
Washington, like Gilman, has experience with Matt Robinson, and prior to his season ending lower body injury in 2024 was an excellent safety lining up for a long term contract. Washington is undersized at 5’8, 177 pounds but posted two interceptions, eight breakups, 64 tackles, and six for loss in 2024 through 17 games with 11 starts. Additionally, he posted 2 breakups, a forced fumble, and nine tackles through 4 games recovering from injury in 2025. He allowed 38 receptions, 384 yards, and five touchdowns along with a 98.6 QBR in 2024 on 56 receptions and has missed just 8% of his tackle attempts. Washington won’t be an expensive signing, but does have some high upside as a bounceback signing. Additionally, Washington does have versatility in the secondary playing strong safety 200 times, 341 snaps in the slot, and 500 at free safety.
