Rank’Em: NFC North Boasts Tons Of Safety Talent

10. John Johnson: Wrap up tackler with quick reactions. Can cover some ground when he runs. Key/diagnose is good. Plays with a burst. Will rally from deep to get in on the tackle. Not afraid of contact. Will fill the hole when he has to. Explosive player with the ability to strike the ball carrier. Nice job of playing in run support. Has a dirty uniform. Good playing strength. Has flexibility to bend in the lower body. Not a stiff player at all. Plays in the right spot. Don't see him out of position much. Good discipline when playing zone. Will sit right where he needs to be and execute his assignment. Not a liability at all in the secondary.

9. T.J. McDonald: Son of former NFL safety Tim McDonald. Was originally drafted by the St. Louis Rams. Does a nice job of keeping the play in front of him. Can rally to the ball to make tackles. Is going to wrap up the ball carrier and get them down on the ground. Good positioning in coverage. Especially does a nice job against tight ends. Can maintain leverage as they're working down the field. Coaches will play him near the line of scrimmage and ask him to chase the ball. Has a knack of making plays this way. Plays with a little burst. Nice awareness to avoid the trash when playing in coverage. Opponents have tried to pick him on routes and he's avoided the contact to maintain coverage. Good player on a bad defense. Still played hard despite all of the unit's issues.

8. Landon Collins: Made the move from the New York Giants to the Washington Redskins. Critics say that he's a "box" safety but I don't find that to be the case at all. When opponents try to put him in coverage he appears to do just fine. Staff has asked him to play some tough covers. Delivers a blow when tackling. Physical player. Doesn't shy away from contact. Can be guilty of trying to do too much. Has to cover for the sins of a secondary that had their issues. Takes on tight ends along the line of scrimmage and has no trouble getting rid of them. Sheds blockers easily. Should be a force with the Redskins given how good their front seven on defense is. He won't have to make all the plays which he was expected to with the Giants.

7. Adrian Amos: Was signed in the off season by the Green Bay Packers as an unrestricted free agent from the Chicago Bears. Was paired with Eddie Jackson to form a nice "one-two" punch for the Bears at safety. Was an interchangeable piece for the secondary. Would play both up/back without any issues. Finds his way to the ball without any issues. Runs/moves well. Assignment sure. Not going to find him making mistakes. Quick footed. Drives well on the ball when in front of him. Has a sneaky ability to play tight near the line of scrimmage and time his run perfectly to hit the gap to trap the runner in the backfield. Knows how to avoid blocks. Affective player when he can sit in the middle of the field and deal with crossing routes. Doesn't take the bait on fakes. Maintains his positioning throughout the play.

6. Malcolm Jenkins: One of the most competitive players in the league. Gives his all on every snap. Doesn't matter where he lines up, he is going to make plays. Has the mental temperament you want from a defensive player. Is not afraid to line up across from an offensive tackle and take him on. Outstanding football intelligence. Sees the field well. Can make up for the mistakes of his teammates. Explosive player as a tackler. Impressive strength. Nice strike. When he hits the ball carrier they stop in their tracks. Is a discipline player when it comes to coverage. Have seen him cover receivers at all levels. Can play him over the tight end or in the slot. Is not going to give an inch when it comes to his technique. Been playing at a high level for several seasons now and is showing no signs of slowing down.

5. Devin McCourty: Plays as a true free safety. Lines up at depth and keeps everything in front of him. Playing down in the box is not his favorite thing to do. Vocal leader of the secondary when it comes to lining guys up. Speed/quickness across the field in coverage. Not going to let the receiver get away from him when playing man. Plays with his eyes. Sees the field in zone coverage. Will react accordingly. Doesn't panic in coverage. Looks comfortable. Contests the ball well. Not going to see many wasted steps and incorrect reads. Impressive how assignment sound he is. Would not call him a big fan of tackling. Tends to wait on the ball carrier to get to him and then will grab jersey to get them on the ground.

4. Jordan Poyer: Unless you're a fan of the Buffalo Bills you don't know much about this guy. Super productive player when it comes to tackling and defending the ball. Long/rangy build. Can generate some speed out of his transition. When he sees it, he comes flying forward. Wants to be in the pile. Makes plays in the box. Is the "Save the Day" kind of tackler. Doesn't miss many of them when in the open field. Coaches like to walk him down and bring him off the edge. Can be disruptive when used this way. Will take on bigger blockers to make sure the ball goes back to his teammates. Takes his share of punishment but always bounces back for more. Not afraid. Primary coverage is lining up against tight ends. Athletic enough to easily stay with them. Ideal true free safety.

3. Eddie Jackson: Plays with nice range. Reads quickly and gets to the spot. Shows some acceleration. Plays with a burst. Not the prettiest backpedal but it suits him. Good lateral agility. Has a feel for coverage. Creates turnovers due to his understanding of where he needs to position himself during the route. Is able to drive on the ball from depth. One of the tops in the league when it comes to getting his hands on the ball whether it's grabbing interceptions or defending passes. Have seen him tackle but not in a violent manor. Will wrap up to get his man on the ground. There are plenty snaps where he's near the pile but not always in it. Coverage is his calling card.

2. Harrison Smith: One of the more athletic safeties in the league. His movement skill puts himself in position to make a ton of plays. Flexible in the hips. Is able to change directions easily. Has a back pedal like a cornerback. Foot work is smooth. Not afraid to throw his body around. Wrap up tackler. Love his toughness. Size doesn't bother him in coverage. Is comfortable carrying the tight end down the field. Not fooled at all on routes. Have seen receivers try and double move him and he stays right in position. Good ball reactions. Range to play the ball down the field. Has an awareness to what is going on around him. Is not putting himself in poor positions. Consistent player. Plays with a great deal of poise. Doesn't get rattled or thrown off his game. Deserves the praise he receives each year for his overall play.

1. Jamal Adams: Ability to play forward/back. Is always going to be around the action. Flexible enough to play in coverage and but there are snaps where he's too aggressive and that knocks him out of position. Can cover some ground when moving to the ball. Not afraid to take blockers on at the point, shed and make the tackle. Loves the contact. Outstanding blitzer. Has a feel for how to time it just at the right moment in order to get home. Impressive the way that he attacks the pocket. Relentless effort to chase the ball. Doesn't stay blocked long. Physical tackler that works to wrap up his man. Brings some pop when he tackles. Will take some strange angles to the ball but is athletic enough to recover.