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The 2025 NFL draft is just around the corner, and the Chicago Bears will be welcoming a new crop of rookies to the roster. After shoring up the trenches in free agency, Chicago will have flexibility with their selections as they look to add the best available players.
Safety is far from a weakness on the roster, but there are questions about the future with Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard. Brisker has yet to play a full season, and has suffered a concussion in each of his first three seasons, while Byard is entering the final year of his contract. So the Bears could look to add a franchise player or even address depth.
We’ve already looked at potential cornerbacks for Chicago in the draft. Now, it is fair to wonder which safeties are going to be available for general manager Ryan Poles and his staff at various points of the draft.
Here are some top safety options for Chicago to consider in the NFL draft:
1. Malaki Starks, Georgia
Malaki Starks enters the draft with the distinction of being the best safety in the class, but the Bears would need to draft him at 10th overall (or trade back and land him). Starks, while playing for one of the best teams in the nation, put up big numbers in 2024. He totaled 77 total tackles, a collegiate career high, with one interception and three pass breakups. Based on what he showed in college, Starks is someone that opponents won’t want to mess with in their passing attack. The Bears could use some more of that on their defense.
2. Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina
Nick Emmanwori isn’t as highly-touted as Starks, but he could still very well be a first-round selection. The Bears may be wise to trade back, get more assets, and select Emmanwori if they are looking for a high-end safety. They could also use the 10th pick on a more pressing need and then use some of their other draft capital to move back into the first round to select Emmanwori. If Chicago believes he can make a significant impact, both options are worth considering. In 2024, Emmanwori totaled 88 tackles, four interceptions — two of which were returned for a touchdown — and two pass breakups.
3. Xavier Watts, Notre Dame
Xavier Watts, who went on a championship run with Notre Dame, could be selected early on Day 2 of the draft, where Chicago has two selections at Nos. 39 and 41. Watts totaled 82 tackles, six interceptions and 10 pass deflections in 16 games with the Fighting Irish. The most impressive part of Watts’ game as a safety is his ability to be a ballhawk, as evidenced by his six interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. He also forced and recovered a fumble. Finding players who can impact a game like that in the second round could be the difference in returning to the postseason. Watts might be one of those guys.
4. Kevin Winston Jr., Penn State
In the latter stages of the second round or early in the third round, you should see Kevin Winston Jr. come off the board. Unfortunately for him, he only played in three games during the 2024 season, which tanked his value. In those three games, Winston totaled just 13 tackles with no interceptions. If you take a chance on a player like Winston, you rely on his pedigree along with his increasing stats from his first two years at Penn State.
5. Andrew Mukuba, Texas
Andrew Mukuba will likely be a third-round selection. If the Bears wanted him without having to make a trade, they’d probably have to select him at No. 72. Last season with Texas, Mukuba totaled 69 tackles, five interceptions, seven pass breakups and one forced fumble. Mukuba spent his senior season with Texas, but he played the previous three years at Clemson, where he was also an impactful player. It’s clear, however, that he took his game and development to the next level once he got to Texas. Now, he’s hoping to climb the hill even further.
Safety isn’t as deep of a position in this draft, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that the Bears can still use one of these guys to improve their secondary.
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