While the Denver Broncos may not be focused on the cornerback class in the 2025 NFL draft, they’re examining the safeties, who closed out Day 2 of the on-field workouts at Lucas Oil Stadium.

As these prospects navigated their day of athletic testing and fieldwork at the NFL Combine, there were obvious winners and losers at cornerback and safety.

Let’s break down who was who from each group in the actual position drills, not counting the measurements and athletic testing.

Upton Stout | Western Kentucky

The group’s best performer, with almost perfect technique in every drill. He kept things tight and clean with his change of direction and had loose hips to open up and run. Stout will end up as a nickel/safety in the NFL, but he showed he has the traits to hang outside, depending on the matchup. 

Caleb Ransaw | Tulane

Ransaw was among the best in the group. He was smooth and fluid throughout the drills, excelling in every one. He had only minor issues that can be addressed with NFL coaching. 

Mac McWilliams | UCF 

McWilliams’s technique was clean and consistent. Although his change of direction wasn’t the smoothest, he didn’t waste steps or movement to gather into his breaks. His reactions to changes from the coaches running the drills were almost instantaneous and not delayed, like many others. 

Jaylin Smith | USC

Smith is a fluid and versatile athlete who showed it during the drills. While not everything was clean from a technical standpoint, his smooth athleticism made up for those minor hiccups in his technique. 

Jordan Hancock | Ohio State

Hancock will likely end up as a safety in the NFL, but there was a chance to show he can drop into the nickel for added versatility. With poor backpedal technique, tightness in his hips, and wasted movement in his change of direction, he all but cemented himself as a safety without nickel versatility. 

O’Donnell Fortune | South Carolina

There were multiple moments in the drill where Fortune wasn’t going 100%. The coaches and scouts wanted to see these players safely give maximum effort, but Fortune didn’t provide it. He entered with questions about his effort on tape and only confirmed those concerns. 

Robert Longerbeam | Rutgers

Longerbeam has length, but it hurts him with his backpedal and change of direction. When he gathers into breaks, he takes extra steps. He is also tight in the waist, making it difficult to open his hips to run. 

Azareye’h Thomas | Florida State

One of the top corners of the class, the drill work, exposed Thomas’s change of direction. He plays a bit high-waisted, leading to wasted movement to gather in breaks, which creates natural separation for the receiver.  

What happens next on the Broncos beat? Don’t miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Malaki Starks | Georgia

The Georgia safety is a smooth athlete with excellent cover skills. In the drills, Starks’ loose hips and fluid change of direction confirmed that he can immediately play defense in the NFL. 

Billy Bowman Jr | Oklahoma

While his size may not be ideal, Bowman can play. He makes up for his size with smooth athleticism and easy movement skills. There was only one drill where Bowman looked rough, and it was because of how he finished it. 

Dante Trader Jr | Maryland

Thanks to loose hips, Trader’s movement was smooth and fluid. His footwork was clean and consistent, and his ball skills were solid, though they will need work. 

Craig Woodson | California 

There is a trend with the winners at the position: smooth, fluid movers with loose hips. With the way the NFL game is trending, those traits are crucial for the safety position. Woodson didn’t have the cleanest footwork, but his movement skills helped him recover and make up for the footwork issues. 

Malik Verdon | Iowa State

Verdon’s movement was loose and fluid, but his footwork was messy. He was caught trying to cheat the drills multiple times, and unlike Woodson, he couldn’t cover the footwork issues. 

R.J. Mickens | Clemson

While most were fluid, smooth, and loose, Mickens was tight-hipped with clunky footwork and poor bend. These issues led to wasted steps and movement in breaks during the drills. 

Marques Sigle | Kansas State

Sigle led the safeties in the 40-yard dash, which was an excellent time, but these are based on the position drills. While it was a solid workout, there were consistent ball skill and footwork issues. 

Rayuan Lane III | Navy

This is tough to write because it was another solid showing, especially for an academy player who can’t go to these specialized facilities to train for the Combine. However, his work in the drills made it clear that there was a significant gap in technique, but he showed tools to work with. 

Follow Denver Broncos On SI/Mile High Huddle on X and Facebook and subscribe on YouTube for daily Broncos live-stream podcasts!