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The 2023 NFL season will be here before you know it. Along with the quest for the Lombardi Trophy kicking off in earnest, debates over the best players in the NFL will begin anew.
As training camps open and the Detroit Lions vs. Kansas City Chiefs opening night matchup gets closer by the day, Heavy is taking a deep dive into every position in an ongoing series ranking the top five players in the NFL, by position, for the upcoming 2023 campaign.
Next up: Safeties.
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1. Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh Steelers
Minkah Fitzpatrick is one of the NFL’s ascending stars, already with three First-Team All-Pro selections, and three Pro Bowl nods under his belt.
Since arriving in Pittsburgh, Fitzpatrick has solidified his status as the premier player at his position. After intercepting 17 passes and returning three for touchdowns, while forcing three fumbles and logging 299 total tackles, the 26-year-old has shown an ability to make an impact both in deep coverage as well as in run support.
Underscoring Fitzpatrick’s production is the fact that opposing quarterbacks produced a pedestrian 72.3 passer rating when targeting him last season, and Pro Football Focus awarded him an 82.2 run-defense grade. The Steelers invested heavily in the secondary this offseason, signing Patrick Peterson before drafting Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice Jr., but Fitzpatrick is this group’s bedrock, and the top safety in the league.
2. Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens
Few defensive rookies made the impact on their teams that Kyle Hamilton did for the Baltimore Ravens last season, playing his way onto the PFWA All-Rookie team, while showing flashes of potential yet to be reached.
Hamilton burst onto the scene and up the rankings of the top safeties in the NFL, after being chosen No. 14 overall, and logging 62 total tackles with a pair of sacks, four tackles for loss, and one forced fumble.
Boasting a balanced skill set, outstanding instincts in coverage, and playing in a system that should allow him to flourish, it wouldn’t be the least bit surprising to see Hamilton wind up the Ravens’ best all-around defensive player in 2023 and one of the top players at his position.
3. Tyrann Mathieu, New Orleans Saints
Few safeties strike the kind of fear into quarterbacks and pass-catchers alike, than Tyrann Mathieu.
The Honeybadger’s first season for his hometown New Orleans Saints was among his finest as a professional. Mathieu posted a career-high 91 total tackles, while producing three interceptions, forcing a fumble, and carding one sack.
Given that 2023 will be Mathieu’s second season under defensive-minded head coach Dennis Allen, there’s a really good chance that his freelancing playmaking ability will be on full display this season, even moreso than the veteran was able to show in 2022 while getting his sea-legs underneath him back in the Bayou.
4. Rodney McLeod, Cleveland Browns
Rodney McLeod arrives in Cleveland as the elder statesman in a Browns secondary teeming with youth.
McLeod, 32, was one of the Colts’ most consistent defenders last season, producing a career-high 96 tackles with two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown.
Arriving in Cleveland, with a Super Bowl ring in tow, McLeod’s experience and consistency will be an asset to the Browns’ young defense. And, McLeod gets to play in a secondary that benefits from Myles Garrett’s dominant pass-rush presence up front.
5. Antoine Winfield Jr., Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Antoine Winfield has quickly developed into one of the centerpieces of the Buccaneers‘ defense, and ascended into the conversation as one of the premier safeties in the NFL.
Winfield Jr. is a dynamic playmaker, whom the Buccaneers have deployed as a Swiss Army Knife of a defender, with the ability to fly around the football both in coverage as well as throwing his weight around up near the line of scrimmage.
Last season, Winfield Jr. produced 4.0 sacks last season to go with his 76 total tackles and one forced fumble, which could set the stage for an even more productive 2023 campaign as the Buccaneers move him to more of a traditional safety role this fall.