Nine safety and nickel cornerback options for the Eagles in the NFL draft

The Eagles secondary fell apart with the rest of the team down the stretch last season While Reed Blankenship provided a constant for the unit, in-season acquisition Kevin Byard wasn’t the player the Eagles hoped they were getting from the Tennessee Titans, and rookie Sydney Brown showed flashes but went down with a knee injury after gaining more playing time.

The Eagles have added C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who should bring his ball-hawking mindset back to the Philly defense, but more impactful safeties are needed to make Vic Fangio’s zone-heavy defensive scheme effective.

In addition, the Eagles need to figure out a long-term nickel cornerback plan with Avonte Maddox no longer here.

The draft has a deep group of safety and nickel prospects for the Eagles to choose from. Here’s a look at some of the best.

Nubin is pro-ready and boasts a ball-hawk mindset, with nine of his 13 career interceptions over the last two seasons. A true coverage safety and an above-average run defender, Nubin provides the desired size (6-foot-1, 199 pounds) and instincts to be an immediately impactful safety.

He is expected to be the first safety off the board, early in the second round, and likely out for the Eagles. Although his athletic testing at his pro day was less than inspiring, Nubin’s production on film on film and his smooth transitions in coverage have shown plenty.

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One of the hardest-hitting safeties in this draft class, Hicks is thickly built, measuring in at the NFL combine at 6-2, 211, and is explosive and physical. He excels in run defense and even lining up in the box with the Cougars, andhas impressive coverage range, specifically in the short and intermediate passing game.

Hicks also has the skill set to be a tight end eraser as well. He finished his final season at Washington State with 79 tackles (six for losses), two interceptions, six pass breakups, and one forced fumble.

After testing well at the combine (37.5-inch vertical jump; 10-foot, 2-inch broad jump), Hicks reportedly ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash at his pro day. Projecting best in a robber-safety role, taking away the middle of the field, Hicks may go too early on Day 2 of the draft to be in the Eagles’ range. His skill set aligns with what Brown brings to the Eagles, although he would be an excellent dime package linebacker on third downs. The Birds met with Hicks at the combine.

Brade is one of the more intriguing players near the top of the safety class, showing ball skills, range, physicality, and excellent instincts in coverage. The Terrapins’ leading tackler (75) has a nose for the football, nabbing three interceptions and breaking up 14 passes over the last two seasons. In his two biggest games last season, against Ohio State and Michigan, Brade rose to the occasion, finishing with a season-high 11 tackles against the Wolverines and breaking up two passes against the Buckeyes.

Although he has yet to test athletically, the 6-foot, 210-pound safety is at his best breaking on routes developing in front of him, with the closing speed to be a middle-of-the-field disrupter.

One of the few true center fielder safety prospects, Kinchens is a puzzling player, mainly stemming from his predraft process. On one hand, he has outstanding instincts and range, with the ability to make interceptions after coming from the other side of the field. Ball production is not a problem for the Miami standout, who had 11 interceptions and 22 passes defended over the last two seasons.

On the other hand, Kinchens didn’t test as overly explosive at the scouting combine — a 4.65-second 40 and a 9-2 broad jump. So Kinchens’ numbers don’t match what he put on tape, although his 40 time improved at this pro day. The Eagles met with Kinchens at the combine and clearly have interest in his skill set, but that was before they brought back Gardner-Johnson.

Although Kinchens’ tackling must improve (13.7% missed tackle rate, according to Pro Football Focus), his skill set would best suit potential three-safety looks that the Eagles could deploy under Fangio.

» READ MORE: At the NFL combine, Eagles building connections with safeties and versatile defensive backs

Bullock has terrific range and closing speed on vertical passes and throws over the middle of the field. Like Kinchens, Over the last two seasons he compiled seven interceptions and 12 pass breakups. Aligning as a single high safety for the Trojans, Bullock was often the bright spot in a defense that gave up a lot of yards and points.

His tackling must improve in the open field (10 missed tackles in 2023), but he’s a wild card in the sense of his slender frame, measuring in at the combine at 6-2, 188. His speed testing is encouraging (4.48 40-yard dash), and he’s a really good athlete whose skill set would complement the Eagles’ safety group well. The Birds showed interest in him at the combine, too.

The Georgia-to-Philly pipeline runs deep, and nickel/safety hybrid Bullard figures to be of interest. Bullard, 5-10 and 198, has excellent range and ball skills and finished with two interceptions and five pass breakups in 2023. His physicality as a run defender would be an excellent addition to a secondary that struggled with tackling down the stretch last season.

Voted as the best safety in Senior Bowl practices in February, Bullard has upside to play a dual high safety role, with his speed (4.47 40-yard dash) on par with playing in the slot. Though he played more of a traditional safety role this season, Bullard logged more than 600 snaps the last two seasons at nickel, according to PFF. His ability to play all over the secondary would make him an excellent chess piece to deploy next to Gardner-Johnson and Blankenship, potentially filling a nickel role left by Maddox’s departure.

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Sainristil was an elite blitzer and magnet to the football while playing a hybrid defensive back position in Ann Arbor. It is rare that a defensive back his size (5-9, 182) was among the team leaders in tackles for losses (five), interceptions (five), and forced fumbles (two), but the fifth-year senior was a playmaker no matter where he lined up on the field.

Traditionally a slot cornerback, Sainristil has no problem operating as an outside corner, serving as a spot starter for two games late in Michigan’s season. Sainristil may not fit many teams’ size thresholds, but his three-level impact in a secondary cannot be understated, especially after a fantastic testing day at the combine, running a 4.47-second 40 and leaping 10-11 in the broad jump, with a 40-inch vertical leap and a sub-4-second 20-yard shuttle. He’s an elite athlete with elite instincts who could be an excellent nickel addition.

One of two safeties worth drafting from the Utah secondary, Bishop is flying under the radar, despite back-to-back years of production and high level play in the Pac-12. Over his last 26 games, Bishop compiled 143 tackles (12½ for losses), three interceptions, and nine pass breakups, aligning both as a true two-high safety and a slot defender in the Utes defense.

A skilled blitzer, Bishop has the upside to challenge slot receivers and tight ends in man coverage, playing with fluid transitions out of his backpedal in coverage situations.

At the Senior Bowl, Bishop’s man coverage ability was on full display, showing his versatility to play multiple spots in the secondary. He has below-average arm length (29¾ inches), but his speed (4.45-second 40) and lower-body explosiveness (39-inch vertical jump) make up for it. Like Bullard, Bishop can be a hybrid defender and a long-term nickel answer depending on how the Eagles envision his skill set in the secondary.

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Of the three Auburn defensive backs in the draft (Nehemiah Pritchett, D.J. James, and Simpson), one player stands out above the rest. Simpson, though slender (6-0, 179), makes smooth transitions out of his backpedal and plays with excellent closing speed. The Auburn safety takes away routes over the middle of the field with his instincts and has versatility to be a big nickel cornerback with his height that would allow him to be a tight end stopper.

In our latest seven-round mock draft, Simpson was the Eagles’ fifth-round selection because of his outlier size. Still, Simpson, who has played outside corner, nickel, and safety in his career, could end up being a utility piece in the secondary.