Lance's 2027 Preseason Draft Prospect Rankings: TEs and Safeties

Same little refresher from the QB/Edge article, but in case you didn't read that, here it is again. These articles are for draft eligible players only, obviously. These are not the same as the weekly top ten player rankings articles, though as the year progresses with those I will use them to add players to these boards. I update these specific ones every 4-ish weeks during the season. Also, without the Combine, this is only college production, so for the analysis I include for each position I will be sure to include if the athletic testing weighs into the Score more heavily than their statistical production or vice versa. Alright, let's dive in:

Analysis: One of the more balanced positions when it comes to the three categories and how they weigh into the score. The final year of production is the most important though. Clarke is not a name you'll see at the top of anyone else's Tight End board, but he grades out the highest for me as it stands right now. I could see both Jamari Johnson and Trey'Dez Green passing him before the end of the year, Terrance Carter as well if he stays hot through the entire season. I would say the same for Vonnahme, but his run blocking graded out pretty poorly last season (per PFF), and Iowa is a run first team, which concerns me about his job security. From a pass catching perspective though, he's very talented. I lied a little, technically Chris Corbo grades out the highest for me, but his transition from the FCS to the Power 4 pushes him down my top ten a little. Davis has the sleeper potential to move up. And like Richardson on my Receiver top ten list, Duke's QB situation makes me nervous about Hasley.

Analysis: Full college production carries the most weight for their score, with athletic testing carrying the lowest. As an Alabama fan I will say I'm not entirely sure how I feel about Hubbard. There are moments where I feel like he may be the best Safety in college football, and then there were times last season where he just killed me. I'm surprised he graded out at #1 given the next two names on the board. If Notre Dame is going to make a run at a championship their secondary is going to be a big reason why, and Johnson is a big piece to that. Bolden is viewed as the top Safety for next year's class by most, and you just have to watch him play a little to see why. Very talented. McLaughlin made the big jump up in competition last year and he didn't miss a beat. Another year at that level and he should only improve his stock more. And we finish it off with a pair of FCS stars from the 2025 season. Chapa is making the jump to the Power 4, Akui is not jumping as far, but it's still a step up in competition. Akui was one of the best coverage Safeties in all of college football last season. We'll see how they both do in 2026.