Sports Illustrated Ranks Falcons' Bates-Watts NFL's No. 1 Safety Duo for 2026

1 articles · Updated · Sports Illustrated · Jul 7

Atlanta’s Jessie Bates III and Xavier Watts topped Sports Illustrated’s 2026 ranking of the NFL’s five best safety tandems, ahead of Baltimore, Green Bay, Denver and Cincinnati.
Watts drove the No. 1 case after a standout rookie year—five interceptions, 96 tackles and 11 passes defensed while playing 99% of snaps—alongside Bates, a 29-year-old with 27 career interceptions.
Baltimore ranked second behind Kyle Hamilton, whom SI called the league’s best safety, with rookie Malaki Starks complementing him after starting 15 games and logging 84 tackles last season.
The list reflects the position’s rising value as offenses use more multi-tight-end sets; only Houston and the Chargers stayed below 10% of snaps in such formations last season.
That emphasis also showed up in the draft, where 2 safeties went in the first round and 3 more in the second.