RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesNEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 01: Kewan Lacy #5 of the Ole Miss Rebels is chased by Kj Bolden #4 of the Georgia Bulldogs during the first quarter during the 2025 College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl at Caesars Superdome on January 01, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I broke down the 2027 scouting classes in my early summer scouting series, and the room has a ton of potential with a long list of potential standout players. I broke down the offense and defense in articles and I suggest reading those for a broad aspect of the room. The Raiders do have some talent on the interior OL, and I’d expect Las Vegas to add more in 2027 as John Spytek does. The Raiders will see Jeremy Chinn possibly hit free agency, and they did add rookies Treydan Stuke & Dalton Johnson this last year, though Stukes likely will play a diverse bandit safety role leaving some holes in the FS and SS positions. The 2027 draft class is exceptional at safety, and Las Vegas could really use a rangy over the top free safety that they have lacked for a long time.
These rankings are extremely early, and they will evolve over not only the summer but the next 8-10 months throughout the season, and into draft season. Some lists will feature 10, 15, 20, or more ranked prospects but I’ll include others on the list below to note.
Tae Johnson, Notre Dame – 6’3/195, R-So
Elite. Johnson is coming off a 2025 where in his first year as a starter he logged 51 tackles, 4 INT, and 7 PBU with another 2 TD and a FF. Johnson allowed a 51.7 QBR, is an elite tackler, and he’s an uber athlete. He has a phenomenal first step and continues to show sideline to sideline ability. Johnson plays physical, has elite hip flexibility, and he uses his full body in most reps with an ability to consistently turn and run and take away passing lanes. Johnson is smart, he has an ability to read and react well, and with his first step quickness Johnson can close passing lanes quickly to jump routes. As a run defender, Johnson is able to drive downfield, he’s shown good great tackling angles, and is just a strong tackler overall. There’s a lot of potential for Johnson to be even better than Xavier Watts, Alohi Gilman, and Kyle Hamilton.
KJ Bolden, Georgia – 6’0/190, Jr
KJ Bolden and Tae Johnson are going to be 1a & 1b all year long and I might end with them just tied for number one. He’s logged a career 135 tackles, 3 INT, and 7 PBU and while not elite production, Bolden just hasn’t been targeted. Bolden has elite hip flexibility to pair with strong first step explosiveness, and he’s just an elite athlete overall. Bolden is average in size, he isn’t the strongest and it does show at times with him getting boxed out by bigger tight ends and receivers in situations. Bolden shows sideline to sideline skill, elite instincts, and he pairs these with a good first step to take away passing concepts, routes, and he’s extremely knowledgably in the backend working to manipulate quarterbacks eyes. Bolden also shows good tackling ability, but the lack of strength does knock him at times, as does average tackling form where he’ll ankle bite. He’s aggressive, which can get him flagged, and he’ll bite on double moves but Bolden shows a high level recovery speed to take routes away.
Bray Hubbard, Alabama – 6’2/215, R-Jr
Bray Hubbard is a traditional SS but he shows some tendencies to play a FS role, though I like him a lot in a BANDIT role or box safety. Hubbard is coming off a 2025 with 79 tackles, 5 TFL, 4 interceptions, 7 PBU, and 3 FF for Alabama & his elite frame/athleticism works in his favor a lot. Hubbard is super aggressive, and playing near the line of scrimmage helps him avoid being susceptible to big plays over the top due to biting on double moves/play action. Hubbard is an elite athlete, drives on the ball well, and he’s consistently able to take away route combinations and lanes due to his length. The Alabama product also shows good tackling angles, he’s physical, and he has an ability to work off blocks but I’d like to see him clear up his form with a high missed tackle rate. Overall, Hubbard is versatile, and it’s rare to find strong safeties with his level of athletic ability and ball skills.
Corey Myrick, Clemson – 6’3/205, R-So
Myrick is an exceptional athlete, and he’s played at Marshall then Southern Miss before transferring to Clemson. The Junior has true sideline to sideline range, a quick first step, and elite hip flexibility. Myrick does a good job working the sideline to his advantage, and he uses his size to consistently to box out defenders. Myrick does need to improve as a tackler where he can be slow to react at times, and there’s also some inconsistent angles which will not succeed at Clemson compared to the SunBelt. Myrick’s athleticism is elite, and he pairs that with good football IQ at the position, Myrick tracks the ball well, shows an ability to break and take away route concepts, and overall projects as a long-term starting FS with an ability to play in single high coverage. In his lone year at Southern Miss, Myrick logged 92 tackles, 5 TFL, 2 INT, and 6 PBU.
Tao Johnson, UCLA – 6’1/195, Sr
Johnson transferred to UCLA from Utah after 51 tackles, 2 TFL, 2 INT, and 4 PBU in 2025. Johnson isn’t the best athlete, and he’s shown some issues at times in downfield coverage due to his lack of long speed and inconsistent first step. That said, Johnson is a phenomenal run defender, he takes good fluid angles, has strong hip movements, and he’s physical. Johnson isn’t an ankle biter, shows good form in his tackling, and he’ll deconstruct blocks well. Additionally, Johnson does show an ability to play the ball in space, and wins with his instincts where he’s extremely smart, able to bait quarterbacks, and understands leverage well to force defenders to the sideline. Johnson is likely going to push into the strong safety or closer to the line ...
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