Though the safety position has seen it’s importance somewhat diminish in the eyes of the NFL (both in the draft and in contracts), it’s remained a major part of Alabama’s defense over the years, with many of the current top NFL talents at the position coming from Tuscaloosa.
On top of that, Pete Golding and Saban have been working more and more towards turning the slot corner, or Star, into more of a safety-like position than a cornerback. And this position metamorphosis has a good shot of being on the forefront of taking back some of the ground gained by college offenses over the last decade.