Free Safety (FS) Draft History

189 FSs drafted in the NFL Draft

Since 1980, NFL teams have drafted 2,127 safeties and defensive backs in the NFL Draft, 196 of them in the first round. 19 of those picks are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Kenny Easley (1981), Ronnie Lott (1981), Darrell Green (1983), Rod Woodson (1987), Eric Allen (1988) and Deion Sanders (1989), plus 13 more. By career Approximate Value, the most productive pick was Rod Woodson (DB, Purdue), taken in round 1 of the 1987 draft. The biggest value pick was John Lynch, a round-3 selection in 1993 who made 9 Pro Bowls. Of the picks made through 2025, 208 (10%) made at least one Pro Bowl and 86% appeared in at least one NFL game. The most common school was Ohio St., with 46 picks.

Figures cover the 1980–2026 drafts. Source: nflverse.

All FS Draft Picks

YearRdPick TeamPlayerPosCollege
2019 2 60 LAC Nasir Adderley FS Delaware
2018 1 11 MIA Minkah Fitzpatrick FS Alabama
2018 1 17 LAC Derwin James FS Florida State
2018 2 54 CIN Jessie Bates FS Wake Forest
2018 4 117 TB Jordan Whitehead FS Pittsburgh
2017 1 15 IND Malik Hooker FS Ohio State
2017 1 25 CLE Jabrill Peppers FS Michigan
2017 2 39 NYJ Marcus Maye FS Florida
2017 2 42 NO Marcus Williams FS Utah
2017 4 111 SEA Tedric Thompson FS Colorado
2017 4 112 CHI Eddie Jackson FS Alabama
2017 4 123 WAS Montae Nicholson FS Michigan State
2017 6 191 DAL Xavier Woods FS Louisiana Tech
2017 6 208 ARI Rudy Ford FS Auburn
2017 7 229 SF Adrian Colbert FS Miami
2016 1 14 LV Karl Joseph FS West Virginia
2016 2 58 PIT Sean Davis FS Maryland
2016 3 64 TEN Kevin Byard FS Middle Tennessee State
2016 3 98 DEN Justin Simmons FS Boston College
2016 4 118 NYJ Juston Burris FS N.C. State
2016 6 212 DAL Kavon Frazier FS Central Michigan
2015 2 64 NE Jordan Richards FS Stanford
2015 6 197 CIN Derron Smith FS Fresno State
2015 7 239 PIT Gerod Holliman FS Louisville
2014 3 79 BAL Terrence Brooks FS Florida State
2014 4 101 PHI Jaylen Watkins FS Florida
2014 4 128 CAR Tre Boston FS North Carolina
2014 4 131 CHI Brock Vereen FS Minnesota
2014 5 147 ATL Ricardo Allen FS Purdue
2014 5 162 PHI Ed Reynolds FS Stanford
2013 2 57 HOU D.J. Swearinger FS South Carolina
2013 3 69 ARI Tyrann Mathieu FS LSU
2013 6 191 WAS Bacarri Rambo FS Georgia
2013 7 218 PHI Jordan Poyer FS Oregon State
2013 7 244 ATL Zeke Motta FS Notre Dame
2012 1 29 MIN Harrison Smith FS Notre Dame
2012 2 48 NE Tavon Wilson FS Illinois
2012 3 79 CHI Brandon Hardin FS Oregon State
2012 4 130 BAL Christian Thompson FS South Carolina State, Auburn
2012 6 181 SEA Winston Guy FS Kentucky
2012 6 187 NYJ Josh Bush FS Wake Forest
2012 6 190 TEN Markelle Martin FS Oklahoma State
2011 2 45 DEN Rahim Moore FS UCLA
2011 2 54 PHI Jaiquawn Jarrett FS Temple
2011 3 93 CHI Chris Conte FS California
2011 5 151 TB Ahmad Black FS Florida
2011 7 248 CLE Eric Hagg FS Nebraska
2010 1 14 SEA Earl Thomas FS Texas
2010 1 27 NE Devin McCourty FS Rutgers
2010 5 163 MIA Reshad Jones FS Georgia
2010 7 210 TB Cody Grimm FS Virginia Tech
2010 7 251 LV Stevie Brown FS Michigan
2009 2 33 DET Louis Delmas FS Western Michigan
2009 2 41 NE Darius Butler FS Connecticut
2009 3 88 BAL Lardarius Webb FS Nicholls State, Southern Mississippi
2009 3 95 ARI Rashad Johnson FS Alabama
2009 4 112 HOU Glover Quin FS New Mexico, Southwest Mississippi JC
2009 5 157 PHI Victor Harris FS Virginia Tech
2009 6 183 BUF Cary Harris FS USC
2008 1 31 NYG Kenny Phillips FS Miami
2008 3 67 CAR Charles Godfrey FS Iowa
2008 3 98 ATL Thomas DeCoud FS California
2008 4 113 NYJ Dwight Lowery FS San Jose State, Cabrillo College
2008 6 206 BAL Haruki Nakamura FS Cincinnati
2007 1 6 WAS LaRon Landry FS LSU
2007 1 19 TEN Michael Griffin FS Texas
2007 1 21 JAX Reggie Nelson FS Florida, Coffeyville CC
2007 2 37 LAC Eric Weddle FS Utah
2007 3 89 GB Aaron Rouse FS Virginia Tech
2007 5 167 CHI Kevin Payne FS Louisiana-Monroe
2007 5 168 CHI Corey Graham FS New Hampshire
2007 5 170 PIT William Gay FS Louisville
2007 6 184 BUF John Wendling FS Wyoming
2007 7 224 NYG Michael Johnson FS Arizona, Tyler JC
2006 1 7 LV Michael Huff FS Texas
2006 2 37 ATL Jimmy Williams FS Virginia Tech
2006 3 97 NYJ Eric Smith FS Michigan State
2006 4 115 GB Will Blackmon FS Boston College
2006 6 207 IND Antoine Bethea FS Howard
2005 2 51 GB Nick Collins FS Bethune-Cookman College
2005 4 123 NYJ Kerry Rhodes FS Louisville
2005 4 135 IND Matt Giordano FS California, Fresno City College
2005 5 157 JAX Gerald Sensabaugh FS North Carolina, East Tennessee State
2004 1 5 WAS Sean Taylor FS Miami
2004 2 56 CIN Madieu Williams FS Maryland
2004 7 205 DAL Nate Jones FS Rutgers
2003 2 36 NE Eugene Wilson FS Illinois
2003 5 154 TEN Donnie Nickey FS Ohio State
2002 1 24 BAL Ed Reed FS Miami
2002 5 157 TB Jermaine Phillips FS Georgia
2001 7 212 KC Shaunard Harts FS Boise State
2001 7 233 JAX Marlon McCree FS Kentucky
2000 3 77 PIT Hank Poteat FS Pittsburgh
2000 3 85 KC Greg Wesley FS University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
2000 6 195 NO Michael Hawthorne FS Purdue
1999 3 65 CIN Cory Hall FS Fresno State
1998 1 4 LV Charles Woodson FS Michigan
1998 2 43 CIN Artrell Hawkins FS Cincinnati
1998 6 188 DAL Izell Reese FS UAB
1997 2 56 CAR Mike Minter FS Nebraska
1997 2 60 GB Darren Sharper FS William & Mary
1997 3 66 TB Ronde Barber FS Virginia
1997 4 111 CIN Tremain Mack FS Miami
1997 4 119 PHI Damien Robinson FS Iowa
1996 1 28 KC Jerome Woods FS Memphis, Booneville JC (MS)
1996 3 87 BUF Matt Stevens FS Appalachian State
1996 5 143 HOU Rayna Stewart FS Northern Arizona
1996 6 177 HOU Anthony Dorsett FS Pittsburgh
1996 6 181 DEN Tony Veland FS Nebraska
1995 1 26 ATL Devin Bush FS Florida State
1995 2 42 MIN Orlando Thomas FS Louisiana-Lafayette
1994 3 71 LA Keith Lyle FS Virginia
1994 4 127 KC Bracy Walker FS North Carolina
1993 1 12 LV Patrick Bates FS Texas A&M
1993 1 29 GB George Teague FS Alabama
1993 3 65 IND Ray Buchanan FS Louisville
1993 3 69 DEN Rondell Jones FS North Carolina
1993 3 82 TB John Lynch FS Stanford
1993 4 105 MIA Ronnie Bradford FS Colorado
1993 7 196 DAL Brock Marion FS Nevada
1992 7 195 BUF Kurt Schulz FS Eastern Washington
1992 8 197 IND Jason Belser FS Oklahoma
1992 8 203 PIT Darren Perry FS Penn State
1992 8 221 DET Willie Clay FS Georgia Tech
1991 1 2 CLE Eric Turner FS UCLA
1991 1 9 LAC Stanley Richard FS Texas
1991 2 28 HOU Mike Dumas FS Indiana
1991 2 41 NE Jerome Henderson FS Clemson
1991 3 59 ARI Aeneas Williams FS Southern
1991 4 102 HOU Marcus Robertson FS Iowa State
1991 5 133 KC Charles Mincy FS Washington, Pasadena College
1990 2 44 NO Vince Buck FS Central State University, Oh
1990 2 53 SF Eric Davis FS Jacksonville State
1990 9 239 PIT Gary Jones FS Texas A&M
1989 1 20 DEN Steve Atwater FS Arkansas
1989 5 134 DEN Darren Carrington FS Northern Arizona
1989 8 218 NYG Myron Guyton FS Eastern Kentucky
1988 2 54 MIN Brad Edwards FS South Carolina
1988 4 89 GB Chuck Cecil FS Arizona
1988 5 124 MIN Darrell Fullington FS Miami
1988 9 223 DET Kip Corrington FS Texas A&M
1987 1 10 PIT Rod Woodson FS Purdue
1987 4 94 PIT Thomas Everett FS Baylor
1987 6 165 CLE Stephen Braggs FS Texas
1987 7 179 NO Gene Atkins FS Florida A&M
1986 2 54 NE Vencie Glenn FS Indiana State
1986 4 92 DET Devon Mitchell FS Iowa
1985 1 21 LA Jerry Gray FS Texas
1985 3 61 IND Anthony Young FS Temple
1985 7 191 LV Bret Clark FS Nebraska
1985 8 209 GB Ken Stills FS Wisconsin, El Camino
1985 10 261 PHI Mark Kelso FS William & Mary
1984 1 18 CLE Don Rogers FS UCLA
1984 4 89 DEN Randy Robbins FS Arizona
1983 1 10 NYG Terry Kinard FS Clemson
1983 2 53 CIN Ray Horton FS Washington
1983 3 61 KC Albert Lewis FS Grambling State
1983 4 97 LA Vince Newsome FS Washington
1982 3 65 LA Benny Perrin FS Alabama
1982 5 112 NE Fred Marion FS Miami
1982 6 157 KC Durwood Roquemore FS Texas A&M University-Kingsville
1982 6 162 CLE Mike Whitwell FS Texas A&M
1981 1 15 DEN Dennis Smith FS USC
1981 2 49 BUF Chris Williams FS LSU
1980 2 40 NYJ Darrol Ray FS Oklahoma
1980 4 108 LAC Bob Gregor FS Washington State
1980 5 113 CIN Bryan Hicks FS McNeese State
1980 7 179 NYG Bud Hebert FS Oklahoma
1979 8 214 HOU Carter Hartwig FS USC
1979 9 239 ATL Dave Parkin FS Utah State
1978 7 173 SEA John Harris FS Arizona State
1978 11 304 LV Bob Glazebrook FS Fresno State, Fresno City College
1977 4 100 SF Stan Black FS Mississippi State
1977 6 148 HOU Gary Woolford FS Florida State, Western Illinois
1977 6 166 DET Reggie Pinkney FS East Carolina
1976 3 69 CIN Danny Reece FS USC
1976 3 74 KC Gary Barbaro FS Nicholls State
1976 5 153 SEA Ernie Jones FS Miami, Miami-Dade CC North FL
1976 10 283 BAL Tim Baylor FS Morgan State
1976 12 343 LV Cedric Brown FS Kent State
1975 3 73 LAC Mike Fuller FS Auburn
1975 5 127 MIA Barry Hill FS Iowa State
1975 7 171 HOU Mark Cotney FS Cameron University, New Mexico Highlands Univ.
1975 9 209 BAL Royce McKinney FS Kentucky State University
1975 12 291 CHI Doug Plank FS Ohio State
1975 12 311 MIN Autry Beamon FS Texas A&M-Commerce
1974 2 50 LA Bill Simpson FS Michigan State
1974 4 100 PIT Jimmy Allen FS UCLA, Pierce College
1974 12 311 MIN Randy Poltl FS Stanford