While big names at the safety position continue to garner the headlines and much of the mock draft buzz, there's a diverse assortment of talent in this safety class with several intriguing sleeper prospects for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Ohio State All-American Caleb Downs, Oregon combine sensation Dillon Thieneman, and Toledo's Emmanuel McNeil-Warren widely round out the top safety trio in this class. The later rounds will provide gems for teams to unearth, though, with a certain Kansas State standout landing firmly on the radar of FanSided NFL Mocks writer John Blair.
"A player with elite NFL tools who is being overlooked is Kansas State’s VJ Payne. He has ideal size at 6-foot-3, 206 pounds with 33 ¾-inch arms, along with top-end speed in the 4.4 range that shows up in his range in coverage. While he primarily played strong safety in college, his skill set projects best to free safety at the next level due to his coverage ability, which limited opposing quarterbacks to just a 47 percent completion rate when targeting him and allowed him to consistently match up with high-level tight ends. If he falls to Day Three, he has the upside to be one of the best value picks in the 2026 NFL Draft."
Sleeper: VJ Payne, Kansas State
The wheels exhibited by Payne (4.4 40-yard dash) for a safety his size jump out on tape, as the three-year Kansas State starter and team captain was the fastest Wildcat on the entire roster. He doesn't have the innate ball-hawk skills of another day-three possibility for Philadelphia, like Bud Clark out of TCU.
Payne wields an elite blend of size and speed. That allows him to lock up numerous weapons in the passing game, including dangerous Baylor tight end Michael Trigg.
Read more: Eagles might have another Kansas player who gives them the depth they need badly
With the offensive line the most widely rumored route for Eagles general manager Howie Roseman to take in round one, the safety position will be tackled by Philadelphia. It's not a matter of if, but when, and as day three of this coming draft plays out, Roseman might just bring the Payne to Philadelphia.
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