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an hour ago
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Tennessee Titans training camp preview: Safeties
As we enter the final weekend before the Tennessee Titans report to training camp, all eyes are focused on outside linebacker Femi Oladejo and whether the second-round pick will sign his contract or hold out. Second-rounders have slowly started to come to terms, and Oladejo should be coming in soon. Although we have already covered edge players in our previews, the topic remains a hot one. Today, we continue our training camp preview series by breaking down the Titans' safeties. Like many positions on the roster, the Titans have added some pieces to the backend with a solid mix of rookies and veterans. A noticeable change will be evident when the team reports to camp on July 22. Here's a quick rundown of who and what to expect this summer. Coaching staff Dennard Wilson (defensive coordinator), Steve Jackson (secondary/safeties coach), Steve Donatell (assistant defensive backs coach) Wilson and Jackson return in 2025, aiming to improve the Titans' run defense, which struggled during their first season together in Nashville. Tennessee has added some pieces to the secondary with veteran Xavier Woods and rookie third-round pick Kevin Winston, but has a solid mix of experience and youth to work with once they hit camp. Strong safety Starter: Amani Hooker Reserves: Kevin Winston Jr., Mark Perry, Julius Wood Hooker returns to the fold and is the leader of the secondary. He is coming off an excellent season and is a consistent defender. The veteran defensive back is an underrated competitor and could be even better if the team around him stays healthy. Winston was drafted in the third round and has a chance to develop into an outstanding playmaker for the Titans' defense. An athletic safety with upside, had he been healthy in 2024, he likely would have gone higher in the draft. Winston will have to play catch-up after missing all of the field work during offseason activities as he recovers from the ACL injury that cost him most of the season. But all signs point to him being ready for camp. Perry and Wood will be fighting for a depth role or a spot on special teams. Free safety Starter: Xavier Woods Reserves: Mike Brown, Kendell Brooks Tennessee signed Woods as an unrestricted free agent to add an experienced presence to the defensive backfield. A consummate professional, the veteran defensive back has been a consistent playmaker throughout his career, bringing a diligent work ethic to the team. His leadership qualities could become a significant asset if things start to unfold as they did in 2024, when injuries ravaged the defense. Brown is coming off an uneven season where he flashed potential. If he can become more consistent, he should be a solid rotational piece. Brooks has an uphill climb, but he could work his way into the mix if he shows some special-teams value. Overall outlook The safety position should be one of the most consistent units on the defense, and enters training camp with most of the depth chart in place. Winston is a wildcard; if healthy, he has the skill set to push for playing time early in the season. This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Tennessee Titans training camp preview: Safeties
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8 hours ago
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Browns 2025 training camp position preview
The Browns are less than a week from not just their first training camp practice, but their first one with fans allowed to watch. The first full-squad workout comes on July 23, and the fans will get their first opportunity to watch on July 24. Almost all of the position groups those fans will be watch during the eight opening training camp practices have already been previewed. The final defensive position takes center stage now with the safeties. The Browns were severely lacking in big play production from that position in 2024. With only Grant Delpit and Ronnie Hickman back with any significant experience in Cleveland, it's very much a different group being asked to fix that in 2025. Here's a look at those safeties: Cleveland Browns safeties Grant Delpit Christopher Edmonds Ronnie Hickman Rayshawn Jenkins Damontae Kazee Donovan McMillon* Nik Needham (* — denotes rookie) Into the numbers: Cleveland Browns safeties Neither Delpit nor Hickman had either an interception or a forced fumble during the 2024 season. Both did recover a fumble. Delpit had a sack, 111 combined tackles and seven tackles for loss in 2024. Both the combined tackles and tackles for loss were either career highs or tied career highs. Hickman played in a career-high 14 games in 2024. He started five of those. Kazee spent the last three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. While he recorded five interceptions over that span in Pittsburgh, his best stint was with the Atlanta Falcons, the team that drafted him. He had 10 interceptions in four seasons in Atlanta, including a league-high seven in 2018. Jenkins had his first career fumble recovery in 2024 with the Seattle Seahawks. He returned it 102 yards for a touchdown. He also has 10 career interceptions since coming into the league in 2017. Needham's career has been short-circuited a bit by injuries, specifically a 2022 Achilles injury. The versatile defensive back had shown great playmaking ability over the first three years of his career from 2019-21, with three sacks, six interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. What they're saying: Cleveland Browns safeties Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz on the need for more playmaking out of the safeties, on June 4: "I think some of being a ball hawk has to do with pass rush, but guys that are wired to the ball that can get an extra jump on the ball, we didn't do enough of that in the past. And that's certainly a position we can improve on. And, you know, we talked about things we can improve off of last year, turnovers and things like that mean a lot. So many of those deep ball things come from ball coming out before the quarterback wants to or being hit before as he's throwing. You know, they, but they both work hand in hand. A guy in the back end, like in this stuff, you're not going to see very many interceptions because quarterbacks aren't being hit when they throw and they're not being forced to throw before they want to. So, you know, it all sort of goes hand in hand.' Browns safeties coach Ephraim Banda on Hickman's big year ahead, on June 12: "Huge. He knows it. It's a big, big point, Year 3 in the system, a great opportunity to take advantage of a situation that he's worked hard to earn. He's done an excellent job in terms of preparing, taking advantage of situations like Year 1 to make the team. Now it's time to go out there and execute to the level that we believe he can and that he knows he can." Banda on Delpit, on June 12: "I think Grant is really starting to touch the true greatness that he can be. You see it. I know that we had whatever we had in terms of the season, but he had a phenomenal year. I mean, reached the hundred-tackle mark again, played really, really good football at the second level. So he's definitely, he's got himself to a good spot. Now where can I help him grow in other areas? We're focusing more on the third level for him right now so that he can be a true complete safety in all those areas, take advantage of opportunities at the third level and help us create more plays. So definitely saw that." Banda on Needham's versatility, on June 12: "He's played corner and nickel obviously in his career, but right now we are completely focused on playing safety. So I know there was some maybe questions on what he is, that guy is playing safety for us. I liked his skillset in the sense that he can do both things. That's always good. OG was a past corner. Guys who have corner flex always can transition. The biggest thing is the growth that has to happen from corner to nickel and the things that you have to do at safety does change and he's in that process right now. He's done a good job of working at it, and I hope that that can transition into the season." Banda on composition of safety position group, on June 12: "I'm basically attacking it and approaching it like no one knows what they're doing, even a guy like Grant or Rocket and building it from the [bottom] up because do have almost like three different rooms. We've got Grant, Chris and Rocket [Hickman], who've been here. Then we got this vet group of Rayshawn, Kazee and Nick, and then we have a rookie. So it's just this really diverse room right now. So for me it's been fun to just remind myself to go back to Day 1 and teach from the ground up, which I think is also going to benefit the guys that have been in the room. But definitely earning my money. Coach Schwartz walked by one time early in the process of the spring and he goes, yeah, it ain't going to be easy like it was last few years. So he reminded me pretty quickly." Training camp analysis: Cleveland Browns safeties Delpit's in the second year of a three-year extension he signed late in 2023. He's been at his best when he's been able to play much more in the box. Hickman has gone from undrafted free agent in 2023 to a player who was essentially the part-time starter a year ago at free safety. Kazee and Jenkins both provide more experienced voices in the room to replace Rodney McLeod, who retired after 2024. Needham's an intriguing roll of the dice because of his versatility to play both safety and cornerback and his previously shown playmaking ability. The Browns like to employ three safeties, so it's hard to not see the primary group come from those five. Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@ Read more about the Browns at Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns 2025 camp position preview: Who'll be the playmaking safeties?
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5 days ago
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Former Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick tumbles in ESPN rankings
Again this offseason, ESPN has polled NFL executives, coaches and scouts to rank the Top 10 players at every position. We've already talked about where defensive tackle Cam Heyward and edge defender T.J. Watt ranked and next up are the safeties. Pittsburgh traded away former All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins at the end of June, but he still showed up on ESPN's rankings, albeit all the way down at No. 9. Here's what they had to say about their ranking of Fitzpatrick: Advertisement This move is a welcome change for Fitzpatrick, whose ball production dipped the past two seasons. After recording 17 interceptions and 38 pass breakups from 2019-22, he managed one and seven, respectively, from 2023-24. As ESPN noted, Fitzpatrick has been on a steady decline the last two seasons. He was ranked No. 1 in 2023, fell to No. 4 in 2024, and now finds himself at No. 9. This dip in production, paired with his salary, is a big reason the Steelers felt like it was time to move on from Fitzpatrick and bring in cornerback Jalen Ramsey. This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Former Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick tumbles in ESPN rankings
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05-07-2025
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Four-star safety Tylan Wilson names Clemson in his final three schools
Clemson football's 2026 recruiting class is closing in on some key decisions in the secondary, with two of their top uncommitted safety targets set to announce where they'll play college football later this month. Four-star Tylan Wilson trimmed his list to three schools on Wednesday, putting Clemson in the mix alongside Texas A&M and Arkansas. The Georgia native has been on Clemson's radar since he picked up an offer in January and he was on campus for the Tigers' major official visit weekend in early June — a visit that helped solidify Clemson's spot among his top choices. Wilson is scheduled to announce his decision on July 18. According to 247Sports, he's the No. 221 overall prospect and ranks No. 17 among safeties in the 2026 cycle. Advertisement The other top name left on the board is four-star Blake Stewart, who is also nearing the end of his recruitment. Stewart plans to reveal his commitment on July 13, with Clemson battling Miami and Vanderbilt for his pledge. The Tigers are believed to be in a strong position with Stewart, who Rivals ranks as the No. 149 player overall and the No. 10 safety in the country. Clemson has already secured two safeties in the current class, so there's only room for one more addition at the position. With spots limited, landing either Wilson or Stewart would close out the position group in strong fashion for safeties coach Mickey Conn and the defensive staff. The next two weeks will be crucial as the Tigers try to lock in one of their final defensive pieces for what's shaping up to be another highly ranked recruiting class. Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions. Advertisement This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson football lands in 4-star safety Tylan Wilson's final three
