Alright, football heads, get ready because the 2027 NFL Draft safety class is absolutely exceptional, packed with potential game-changers who could reshape a defense. It’s early, sure, but the talent emerging is seriously next level, and for a team like the Las Vegas Raiders, who desperately need help on the back end, this is huge news. They have lacked a rangy, over the top free safety for a long time, and this class looks like it can deliver.
Raiders’ Safety Situation is Wide Open, Creating a Clear Need
Look, the Raiders need to make moves in 2027, especially at safety. Jeremy Chinn could hit free agency, leaving a massive hole. While they did add rookies Treydan Stuke and Dalton Johnson last year, Stuke is likely playing that diverse bandit safety role, which still leaves major gaps at both free safety and strong safety. General Manager John Spytek is definitely looking to add more talent, especially on the interior offensive line, but the safety position just screams for an upgrade. This isn’t just about adding depth, it’s about finding that elite talent to anchor their secondary. The 2027 class has multiple guys who could be that player.
Tae Johnson and KJ Bolden Are Headliners
When you talk about elite, you gotta start with Tae Johnson out of Notre Dame. This kid is redshirt sophomore who just played his first year as a starter in 2025, and his stats are wild: 51 tackles, 4 interceptions, 7 pass breakups, 2 touchdowns, and a forced fumble. He allowed a 51.7 QBR! Johnson is an uber athlete with phenomenal first step quickness and insane sideline to sideline ability. He plays physical, has elite hip flexibility, and consistently turns and runs to take away passing lanes. As a run defender, he drives downfield, takes great tackling angles, and is just a strong tackler overall. Seriously, the potential for Johnson to be better than guys like Xavier Watts, Alohi Gilman, and even Kyle Hamilton is real.
Then there’s KJ Bolden from Georgia, a junior who is absolutely in the 1a/1b conversation with Johnson. They might even end up tied for number one. Bolden has racked up 135 career tackles, 3 INTs, and 7 PBU, and while those numbers aren’t “elite” on paper, it’s because quarterbacks just aren’t targeting him. He has elite hip flexibility, strong first step explosiveness, and is an elite athlete. Now, he’s average in size and not the strongest, sometimes getting boxed out by bigger tight ends, but his sideline to sideline skill and elite instincts, paired with that first step, let him take away passing concepts. He manipulates quarterback’s eyes, which is just brilliant. Yes, he can be aggressive and get flagged, and sometimes he’ll bite on double moves or ankle bite when tackling, but his recovery speed is insane, letting him erase mistakes. And don’t sleep on Bray Hubbard from Alabama. He’s a traditional strong safety, but he’s got some free safety tendencies, and I’m really liking him in a bandit or box safety role. He had 79 tackles in 2025, showing he can get after it.
This is just the start, folks. These early rankings are going to evolve over the next 8-10 months, all through the season and into draft season. But for a team like the Raiders, who need that rangy free safety, knowing this class is coming gives them a ton to look forward to. The stakes are high: finding that cornerstone piece in the secondary could change everything for their defense.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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