40-yard dash↓ lower is better
n 157 (73% tested)
- Bot 5%
- 4.67s
- 25th
- 4.59s
- Median
- 4.50s
- 75th
- 4.44s
- Top 5%
- 4.36s
Drafted 4.48sUndrafted 4.58s
Best: 4.27s — Lorenzo Styles Jr., 2026
Safety
The bar for an NFL safety
- Athletes
- 215
- Classes
- 2017–2026
- Drafted
- 147 (68%)
Typical NFL S, 2017–2026 — the middle 50% of the group
- Height
- 5'11" – 6'1"
- Weight
- 198 – 209 lb
- 40-yard dash
- 4.44 – 4.59s
Drafted safeties vs undrafted (medians)
- 0.10s faster forty
- 2.8 higher Power Index
- 1.5" more vertical
The benchmark table
Tiers are vs safeties at the NFL Combine, 2017–2026, who tested that drill. Timed drills are already flipped: a faster time is a higher tier.
| Build | Typical range (mid 50%) | Median | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heightn 211 (98% tested) | 5'11" – 6'1" | 6'0" | n 211 (98%) |
| Weightn 211 (98% tested) | 198 lb – 209 lb | 204 lb | n 211 (98%) |
| PPIpounds carried per inch of framen 211 (98% tested) | 2.75 – 2.89 | 2.82 | n 211 (98%) |
| Performance | NFL medianbeats 50% | Top 25%beats 75% | Top 10%beats 90% | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40-yard dash↓ lower winsn 157 (73% tested) | 4.50s | 4.44s | 4.38s | n 157 (73%) |
| Vertical jumpn 166 (77% tested) | 35.5" | 38" | 41" | n 166 (77%) |
| Broad jumpn 159 (74% tested) | 10'2" | 10'7" | 10'11" | n 159 (74%) |
| Bench press (reps)n 121 (56% tested) | 17 | 19 | 21 | n 121 (56%) |
| 3-cone↓ lower winsn 64 (30% tested) — fewer than half tested | 6.92s | 6.81s | 6.68s | n 64 (30%) — fewer than half tested |
| Shuttle↓ lower winsn 73 (34% tested) — fewer than half tested | 4.23s | 4.14s | 4.08s | n 73 (34%) — fewer than half tested |
| Power Index√(weight × vertical) — mass-adjusted lower-body powern 165 (77% tested) | 85.1 | 88.2 | 90.9 | n 165 (77%) |
Top 10% = better than 90% of Combine safeties who tested. n = athletes with a recorded value.
† Fewer than half tested. Skipping correlates with top prospects — a biased sample.
Every measurable, in full
Better is always to the right. ▌ drafted median ┊ undrafted median
n 166 (77% tested)
- Bot 5%
- 31"
- 25th
- 33.5"
- Median
- 35.5"
- 75th
- 38"
- Top 5%
- 41.5"
Drafted 36"Undrafted 34.5"
Best: 44" — Obi Melifonwu, 2017
n 159 (74% tested)
- Bot 5%
- 9'7"
- 25th
- 9'11"
- Median
- 10'2"
- 75th
- 10'7"
- Top 5%
- 11'2"
Drafted 10'3"Undrafted 10'1"
Best: 12'2" — Tyler Owens, 2024
n 121 (56% tested)
- Bot 5%
- 12
- 25th
- 15
- Median
- 17
- 75th
- 19
- Top 5%
- 22
Drafted 17Undrafted 16
Best: 25 — Dane Cruikshank, 2018
3-cone↓ lower is better
n 64 (30% tested)
- Bot 5%
- 7.24s
- 25th
- 7.07s
- Median
- 6.92s
- 75th
- 6.81s
- Top 5%
- 6.63s
Best: 6.56s — Troy Apke, 2018
Shuttle↓ lower is better
n 73 (34% tested)
- Bot 5%
- 4.45s
- 25th
- 4.32s
- Median
- 4.23s
- 75th
- 4.14s
- Top 5%
- 4.05s
Best: 3.99s — Taylor Rapp, 2019
Power Index
√(weight × vertical) — mass-adjusted lower-body power
n 165 (77% tested)
- Bot 5%
- 79.4
- 25th
- 82.6
- Median
- 85.1
- 75th
- 88.2
- Top 5%
- 93.5
Drafted 86.0Undrafted 83.1
Best: 99.3 — Obi Melifonwu, 2017
n 211 (98% tested)
- 5th
- 5'10"
- 25th
- 5'11"
- Median
- 6'0"
- 75th
- 6'1"
- 95th
- 6'3"
Drafted 6'0"Undrafted 6'0"
n 211 (98% tested)
- 5th
- 190 lb
- 25th
- 198 lb
- Median
- 204 lb
- 75th
- 209 lb
- 95th
- 219 lb
Drafted 205 lbUndrafted 203 lb
PPI
pounds carried per inch of frame
n 211 (98% tested)
- 5th
- 2.64
- 25th
- 2.75
- Median
- 2.82
- 75th
- 2.89
- 95th
- 2.99
Drafted 2.82Undrafted 2.81
About this data
- 2021 numbers are pro-day results — no combine was held that year (about 7% of this group).
- Missing values aren’t random: top prospects skip drills. 3-cone: 30% of safeties tested.
- 81 athletes listed only as “DB” (mostly 2021) could not be split into CB vs S and are excluded from this group.
- Full mapping rules, metric definitions, and provenance: Methodology