I’m quickly becoming a big fan of Alabama safety Bray Hubbard. Former high school QB who showed tonnes of promise in his first season as a starter in 2024 pic.twitter.com/kR1lgVaX8N
— Jack Brentnall (@Jack_Brentnall) July 5, 2025
The Kansas City Chiefs have one of the thinnest safety rooms in the NFL. They are one significant injury away from needing to make some desperate alterations to the room’s composition. Having Mike Edwards on the practice squad mitigates some concerns, but the Chiefs need to examine safeties in the 2026 NFL draft to protect the position’s future.
Alabama Crimson Tide safety Bray Hubbard was a quarterback in high school who passed for more than 2,000 yards and ran for over 1,000 yards as a junior and senior. He’s newer to his current position, so some of the mental mistakes he made in 2024 are forgivable.
Hubbard is a high motor safety who fearlessly runs the alley to challenge running backs. He shows no fear of operating in the box despite being surrounded by much larger bodies. Hubbard is a high-level run defender who transforms into a heat-seeking missile. He finishes solo tackles in space with good balance but also delivers some explosive hits that knock ball carriers off their feet.
Hubbard’s quick downhill trigger helps him limit yards after the catch. He also demolishes throws and screens to the flat. Unfortunately, his tackle strength doesn’t translate to play strength when taking on blocks. Hubbard’s block deconstruction is underdeveloped, leading to him getting stuck on stalk blocks.
Hubbard reads the quarterback’s eyes to pinch or trigger on throwing lanes. He lacks ideal burst but flashed decent range in 2024. He won’t serve in a single-high role in the NFL but moves well enough to arrive at the catch point in time to attempt to punch the ball out.
Athletic limitations slap a fourth round ceiling on Hubbard’s draft stock. He lacks the agility and twitch to play man coverage against slot options. Hubbard’s limited burst prevents him from recovering when stacked downfield. He suffers from some hip stiffness that makes him inconsistent when operating in tight quarters.
Alabama opens its season on Saturday, Aug. 30 at 2:30 p.m. CDT against Florida State. The Seminoles turned over a large portion of their roster through the transfer portal following a disappointing 2-10 season in 2024.