Bray Hubbard
Alabama#76 overallDraft Movement
Down 4 spots since Jun 8
Scouting Report
A converted high school quarterback out of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, Bray Hubbard projects as an instinctive, downhill safety whose quarterback past shows up in how he reads the field. Bleacher Report's Daniel Harms graded him 7.2 (high-level backup with starter upside, third-round value), ranking him 84th overall and S8 in the class with a pro comp to Kitan Oladapo. NFL Draft Buzz carries an 85.8 player rating and an aggregate scout overall rank of 42.5, while the 2027 Draft Bible slots him third on its safety board behind Koi Perich and KJ Bolden. PFF reports a strong 86.2 career coverage grade and 75.7 run-defense grade with just a 48.9 QBR allowed when targeted, evidence of the playmaking that produced seven career interceptions and eight pass breakups. Scouts love the controlled aggression running the alley and the heat-seeking, tone-setting hits, and his zone instincts let him jump throwing lanes and diagnose play action before it develops. He earned First-Team All-SEC honors in 2025 after stepping in for the injured Keon Sabb. The concerns are athletic: evaluators flag average-at-best NFL athleticism, limited deep range and burst, hip stiffness in tight quarters, and a tendency to bite on play action and miss in space. Chiefs Wire sees a fourth-round ceiling tied to those limits, while Walter Football pegs him a possible day-two pick with starting potential. The floor is a versatile special-teamer; the ceiling is a ball-hawking starting safety who changes games.
Strengths
- Elite ball skills and route recognition, seven career interceptions and eight pass breakups
- outstanding 86.2 career PFF coverage grade with only 48.9 QBR allowed when targeted
- quarterback background drives field vision and pre-snap diagnosis
- runs the alley with controlled aggression and tone-setting hits (11 tackles and a forced fumble vs Oklahoma in 2024)
- strong 75.7 career PFF run-defense grade as a willing box presence
- quick downhill trigger limits yards after the catch and blows up flat throws and screens
- positional versatility between free, strong, slot and dime roles
- natural leader who communicates and directs traffic in the secondary
Weaknesses
- Average-at-best NFL athleticism per PFF and BR
- lacks ideal deep speed and backward range to play single-high free safety
- struggles in man coverage against quicker slot receivers
- gets stacked and cannot recover against vertical routes
- hip stiffness shows up in tight quarters
- tackling consistency wavers, takes poor angles and falls down near the ball carrier's feet
- bites on play action, forcing grabby recovery and potential holding/illegal-contact penalties
- underdeveloped block deconstruction, gets stuck on stalk blocks
NFL Comparison
Kitan Oladapo: BR's direct pro comp, an instinctive box/zone safety with size over top-end speed; Javon Bullard: BR comparable-grade match, versatile QB-eyed defender who plays bigger than his testing; Billy Bowman Jr.: another BR comparable grade, ball-hawking safety whose production outpaces his athletic profile
College Stats
2023: freshman, special teams only while learning the position. 2024: started final 6 games, 57 tackles, team-best-tying 3 INT, 2 PBU, 1 FF (INTs vs Missouri and Auburn). 2025: First-Team All-SEC, roughly 74 tackles (47 solo), 4 INT for 42 yards, 8 PBU. Career into 2026 (Vikings Wire): 137 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 7 INT, 8 PBU. PFF: 86.2 career coverage grade, 75.7 run-defense grade, 48.9 QBR allowed when targeted.
Measurables
Awards & Honors
First-Team All-SEC (2025); two-time Mississippi Class 6A Mr. Football and four-star ESPN recruit out of high school; BR overall rank 84, position rank S8, 7.2 grade (3rd round); NFL Draft Buzz 85.8 rating; 2027 Draft Bible No. 3 safety; appeared at No. 153 on a 2027 big board