Seven Safety Prospects Cardinals Could Target in NFL Draft

Now that Budda Baker is likely to be traded, here are some safeties for the Arizona Cardinals to look at in the 2023 NFL Draft as a replacement.

Author:
Richie Bradshaw
Publish date:
Apr 20, 2023 10:00 AM EDT

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Arizona Cardinals

With Budda Baker likely on the way out of the desert, the Arizona Cardinals suddenly have a need for safety skyrocketing up their draft board. What was once a position that needed no help will now need a new face to help anchor the defense - assuming Baker is traded.

While there is no slam-dunk prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft class, there are several players to evaluate and potentially bring to Arizona.

There is no safety prospect that the Cardinals should entertain in the top ten, but perhaps some trade-downs or trade-ups could be in store for the team on Day 2/3.

Here is a short list of the top safety prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft that the Cardinals could look at to replace Baker:

Brian Branch, Alabama

The top safety prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft has enough versatility that some consider him a cornerback prospect as well. Think of him as the Walmart-brand version of Minkah Fitzpatrick down to both playing at Alabama.

Branch's value is hard to gauge, as some believe him to be a top-15 player and others are unsure if he's a first-round pick. Regardless of his "value" Branch is a top-notch defender with ball-hawk tendencies and the versatility to move throughout the secondary. Branch is easily the best prospect to replace Baker within the draft.

Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M

Johnson feels like a very subjective player in the draft. Some love him enough to make him the top prospect and others aren't as high on the Aggie safety. Regardless, Johnson is one of the top safety prospects in the draft and he's got a high ceiling to grow into.

Johnson looks like an enforcer on the back end of the defense. While not the most consistent defender in the world, Johnson has some high-upside and is an intriguing piece to add to a defense looking to get nastier.

Jordan Battle, Alabama

Battle is a veteran player who was a major contributor in all four seasons he spent with Alabama and while unspectacular he feels like one of the safest players with a high floor. Battle would be a good player to add from a leadership aspect and would feel like a veteran on the backend even as a rookie.

While I don't know that I see a ridiculously high ceiling here, Battle does feel like one of the more quality picks that could be made at the position.

Sydney Brown, Illinois

You can echo the "veteran status" I previously mentioned on Battle here for Brown and add in some nice ball skills on the backend. Brown was a highly relied-upon defender for the Fighting Illini for five seasons and exploded in his final season with six of his ten career interceptions. Brown feels like a very overlooked prospect that could find his way onto the football field sooner rather than later.

Christopher Smith, Georgia

Few colleges feel like safer choices to select starting defensive players than Georgia and Smith is no exception. Smith had his best season in his final year with the Bulldogs, notching 60 tackles and three interceptions. He's got production in the interception department and being a starter at Georgia is all you need to tell me to sell me on Smith as a sleeper prospect to become a potential starter.

Brandon Joseph, Notre Dame

Joseph had great numbers at Northwestern and remained solid in his lone season with Notre Dame when he was on the field. There is some intriguing ball-hawking potential with Joseph (10 career interceptions) and he feels like a fun stash-and-develop prospect at safety.

JL Skinner, Boise State

Skinner is a big man (6'4" and 209 lbs) with some freaky athleticism and upside to be a steal in the draft. Skinner feels like a similar type of prospect to Myjai Sanders a year ago in the sense that there's some serious upside here, but he will require patience to get him to his ceiling. If he can reach it, Skinner could be a fixture on this defense.