NFL Draft safety breakdown: Pair of SEC products lead class

1. Xavier McKinney

Alabama, 6-0, 201

In his junior season, before he declared for the draft, McKinney led Alabama with 95 tackles, including 5 1/2 for loss, and he had three sacks. His ball-hawking skills were on display as he forced four fumbles, intercepted three passes and broke up five others. McKinney was named first-team All-SEC and third-team All-American. McKinney also started as a sophomore when he had 73 tackles, three sacks, two interceptions and 10 pass breakups. In the Orange Bowl, he was named defensive MVP in a win that sent Alabama to the national title game.

2. Grant Delpit

LSU, 6-2, 213

Delpit shined during LSU’s run to the national championship. He won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back after recording 65 tackles, including 4 1/2 for loss, two sacks, two interceptions and seven pass breakups. As a sophomore in 2018, Delpit was a unanimous first-team All-American because of his 74 tackles (9 1/2 for loss), five sacks and five interceptions. Delpit also started 10 games as a freshman.

3. Antoine Winfield Jr.

Minnesota, 5-9, 203

Winfield, son of former All-Pro cornerback Antoine Winfield, overcame his smallish stature to become a first-team All-American in 2019 after leading Minnesota with 88 tackles and seven interceptions. He also forced two fumbles and had three sacks. Injuries limited Winfield to four games each in the 2017-18 seasons. At the NFL Combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds

4. Kyle Dugger

Lenoir-Rhyne, 6-1, 217

Dugger will become the first player since 2000 to be drafted from Lenoir-Rhyne, a Division II school in North Carolina. He started only seven games as a senior because of a hand injury, but when he was on the field he excelled in the secondary and as a punt returner. He started to gain notice in 2018 when he had 76 tackles, three interceptions, 10 pass breakups, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. He also scored twice on punt returns. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.49 seconds at the NFL Combine.

5. Ashtyn Davis

California, 6-1, 202

Considered one of the fastest safeties in his class — he went to Cal on a track scholarship — Davis elected not to run at the NFL Combine because of surgery he had to repair a groin injury from the previous season. He also was not cleared to participate in the Senior Bowl. As a senior, Davis had 57 tackles, two interceptions, four pass breakups and two forced fumbles. Davis started 13 games as a junior, when he totaled four interceptions and five pass breakups. He was voted Cal’s top special teams player in his redshirt freshman and sophomore seasons.

6. Jeremy Chinn

Southern Illinois, 6-3, 221

A three-year starter at the Missouri Valley Conference school, Chinn capped his college career by being named a second-team All-American. He contributed 71 tackles, four interceptions and three pass breakups. He earned the first of two all-conference nods as a junior when he intercepted three passes, broke up seven more and had 55 tackles. Chinn also had three interceptions in each of his freshman and sophomore seasons. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds at the NFL Combine.

7. Terrell Burgess

Utah, 5-11, 202

After starting just three games in his first three seasons at Utah, Burgess started all 14 as a senior and totaled 81 tackles, including 7 1/2 for loss, one interception and five pass breakups. Although he started only twice as a junior, Burgess played in all 14 games and broke up three passes. At the NFL Combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds.

8. K’Von Wallace

Clemson, 5-11, 206

Wallace had a solid four-year at Clemson, starting his final two seasons, including the Tigers’ run to the national championship in 2018. That year, Wallace had 55 tackles, one interception, seven pass breakups and two forced fumbles. In his final season, he totaled 78 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions and he tied for the team lead with 10 pass breakups. Wallace also started six times as a sophomore.

9. Julian Blackmon

Utah, 6-0, 187

Blackmon joins Terrell Burgess as Utah safeties who will be drafted. Blackmon, though, spent just one season playing the position. He was a second-team all-conference pick as a cornerback in his sophomore and junior seasons. After his senior year, in which he had 60 tackles, four interceptions and four pass breakups at safety, Blackmon was named second-team All-American. He likely will fall down draft boards after tearing his ACL in the Pac-12 championship game against Oregon.

10. Brandon Jones

Texas, 5-11, 198

A pro prospect after his junior season, Jones opted to return to school for his final year of eligibility. Jones was a second-team All-Big 12 pick for the Longhorns. He had 86 tackles, including 4 1/2 for loss, one sack, two interceptions and four pass breakups. In 2018, he had 70 tackles and two interceptions in 10 games, missing time with head and ankle injuries. Jones also started as a sophomore in 2017.

Best fit for Steelers

Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama

OK, so what if Fitzpatrick was a member of the 2018 draft class and has been in the NFL for two seasons? The Steelers have considered Fitzpatrick their de facto first-round draft pick since they acquired him in a trade with the Dolphins. The Steelers, though, seek depth at the position. Perhaps that means a homecoming for New Castle’s Geno Stone, a 5-foot-10, 207-pound safety from Iowa who left school a year early. He’s projected to be a Day 3 pick.