The safety position is one of the most interesting positions in all of football.
Years ago, Dick LeBeau would often tell me (Solomon) that a safety must be physically able to function in many different roles. They must be a combination of fast enough, tough enough and smart enough to match up in pass coverage while at the same time work with linebackers in run defense, even in short-yardage and goal-line plays. They must also function with defensive linemen to execute an effective pass-rush.
Fast forward to 2019 and this is true in spades, with teams increasingly using big nickel and dime personnel to combat the use of 11 personnel as the NFL's base offense.