Oct 13, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch (32) celebrates with Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold (0) after making an interception during the second half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
It’s time for my final NFC North position rankings for the 2026 season, and we finish with the safety position. To review the previous position rankings, click the following links: QB, RB, WR, TE, OL, iDL, EDGE, LB, and CB.
NFC North Safety Rankings for 2026
There has been some change in the NFC North at safety since I did my rankings last year. Some big names have left, new signings have been made, and some intriguing rookies have joined the division.
1. Green Bay Packers
Oct 27, 2024; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram (17) catches a touchdown pass under pressure from Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney (29), cornerback Jaire Alexander (23) and cornerback Keisean Nixon (25) during the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images.
Since switching the Big Apple for Wisconsin, Xavier McKinney has been very good. He earned first-team All-Pro honors in his first season in Green Bay and followed that up with second-team All-Pro last season. The switch from the Giants to the Packers has been a great success for both the player and the team and is the main reason Green Bay tops this list.
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However, McKinney isn’t a one-man show and receives particularly good support from Evan Williams and Javon Bullard, while Kitan Oladapo rounds out the depth chart. Top-end talent and good depth is a recipe for first place in the rankings.
2. Detroit Lions
Dec 24, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) reacts with Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph (31) during the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph, Christian Izien, Chuck Clark
Brian Branch has been an excellent addition to the Detroit Lions defense since he was drafted in the second round of the 2023 draft. His hard-hitting tackling sets the tone in Detroit, where his run defense is elite and his coverage is pretty good, too.
Branch and fellow safety Kerby Joseph have started training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, which is something to monitor as Branch recovers from an Achilles injury and Joseph a knee injury that occurred last season. It leaves veteran Chuck Clark and Christian Izien holding down the fort in Detroit for now. The return to health for Branch will be vital for the whole of the Lions defense.
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3. Chicago Bears
Jan 1, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders running back J’Koby Williams (20) is tackled by Oregon Ducks defensive back Dillon Thieneman (31) during the second half of the 2025 Orange Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Dillon Thieneman, Coby Bryant, Elijah Hicks, Cam Lewis
The Bears turned to safety with their first-round pick this year, so the success of Dillon Thieneman is going to be crucial. They need him to come on and be an immediate starter who can lead the unit with the backup coming in the form of Coby Bryant, Elijah Hicks, and Cam Lewis.
If the Thieneman pick doesn’t work, the Bears could have a problem. Although Bryant gives them a solid veteran presence, Hicks played very little on defense last season, and Lewis was a depth player in Buffalo before joining Chicago. There’s a lot of pressure on Thieneman to deliver early in his career.
4. Minnesota Vikings
Aug 27, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; Minnesota Vikings safety Josh Metellus (44) lays injured on the turf in the first quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports.
Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson, Jay Ward, Jakobe Thomas
Often a position of strength during the long career of Harrison Smith, the Vikings come into the 2026 season with safety possibly the biggest area of concern on the roster.
Josh Metellus is a good player, but his best football has come playing a hybrid role in Brian Flores’ defense. Now he is the team’s standout safety and needs to perform as such. Theo Jackson gives the Vikings a solid veteran who has performed well as a depth player the last couple of seasons. Then there is Jay Ward, a fourth-round pick from 2023 who has done a good job as a depth player but might be required more this season.
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Finally, the Vikings drafted Jakobe Thomas in the third round this year, and he could be the joker in the pack in Minnesota. There has already been talk of him being ready to start immediately.
Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.
King Alexander (20/1) won the Tote Galway Plate at Ballybrit on Wednesday afternoon,
Trained by Willie Mullins, the Daniel King-ridden eight-year-old gave the Closutton trainer his third victory in the Grade 3 feature.
In a race where big-priced horses filled the first three spots, Paul Nolan’s Conyers Hill (25/1), the mount of Aldan O’Sullivan, was second, with Gorgeous Tom (25/1), from the Waterford stable of Henry de Bromhead, third at 25/1.
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There was only a half-length and three-quarters-of-a-length respectively between the first three finishers in the €270,000 Wednesday feature.
Rising star Daniel King gives us his reaction to winning the Galway Plate for Willie Mullins 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/9rqMzkGHdi
The win completed a treble for Mullins this evening, having earlier won the maiden hurdle and the mares’ handicap hurdle.
The champion trainer began the day with the victory of Mr Hollywood (2/1 favourite) in the opening Tote Guaranteed 50k Placepot Maiden Hurdle.
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The gelded bay son of Iquitos, last seen when finishing third in the Queen Alexandra at Royal Ascot last month, came late on the stands’ side under Brian Hayes as the six-year-old beat Emmet Mullins’ Jeroboam Machin (10/1) and Donagh Meyler by half-a-length. Another Willie Mullins-prepared runner, Al Arrivee (3/1), the mount of Patrick Mullins, was two-and-a-half lengths further back to complete a Mullins family trifecta.
Mullins had brought up a double on the evening when the impressive French-bred Venusienne took the Tote Guarantee, Never Beaten by SP Irish EBF Mares Handicap Hurdle for rider Harry Cobden. The daughter of Capital Stud’s Authorized had a two-and-a-half length advantage over the Joseph O’Brien-trained Fratas (2/1f) at the winning line, with Emesteraye (16/1) third.
Mighty Berkshire (15/2) was a popular victor in the Tote.ie Money-Back 2nd Every Race Handicap Hurdle for owner/jockey Declan Queally. The Waterford handler’s runner was only contesting his second handicap, and the addition of new headgear seemed to help the six-year-old bay gelding. Owned by the Man About Dog Syndicate, comprising members from counties in Munster, Mighty Berkshire won by a length-and-a-quarter from Noel Meade’s Golden Temple (5/1), with Macshadow Des Crai third at 14/1 under Jack Kennedy.
Abbotsford (7/4 favourite), owned and bred by Juddmonte Farms, gave Dermot Weld a birthday present when winning the Visit Tote26 On Course (Q.R.) Maiden over one mile four furlongs and 43 yards.
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The three-year-old son of Frankel, who was gelded since finishing runner-up at Cork last May, was an easy seven-and-a-half length winner for amateur jockey Finny Maguire, son of former top National Hunt rider, Adrian.
Joey Sheridan and Minella Rockett (10/1) came late in the Tote Every Day Is A Money-Back Day Handicap to get a neck advantage over Johnny Soda (11/2) at the line, to deny Ado McGuinness another winner at Galway this week. Krasimir (15/2) was a head back in a tight finish to the 1 mile 123 yards race.
The final race of Galway Plate Day, the Bet With Tote.ie On Racing & Sports Handicap went the way of Cock And Bull (7/2jf) for Sam Coen and Emmet Mullins.
India’s teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has added another milestone to his rapidly rising career after being appointed vice-captain of the East Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy 2026. Fresh from winning the Player of the Series award during India’s tour of Zimbabwe, Sooryavanshi will serve as deputy to Ishan Kishan, who has been named captain of the East Zone side for the prestigious red-ball tournament beginning on August 23 in Bengaluru.
The vice-captaincy marks another major achievement for the youngster, who made his international debut during India’s tour of England earlier this month. Following a string of impressive performances for India and in domestic cricket, Sooryavanshi has now been entrusted with a leadership role in one of India’s premier domestic tournaments.
He is expected to open the batting alongside experienced Bengal opener Abhimanyu Easwaran, who returns as the most seasoned player in the squad with more than 100 first-class appearances.
Ishan Kishan to lead experienced East Zone squad
Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan will captain an East Zone side that blends experienced international cricketers with emerging talent. Veteran India pacer Mohammed Shami returns to the domestic circuit after missing international action since the 2025 Champions Trophy final. The 35-year-old featured for Bengal in the 2025-26 domestic season and also played 13 matches for the Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2026.
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The squad also includes India fast bowler Mukesh Kumar, all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed, Jharkhand batter Virat Singh, wicketkeeper Kumar Kushagra, and spin all-rounder Anukul Roy, who impressed during India A’s successful tri-series campaign in Sri Lanka earlier this year.
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Riyan Parag, Akash Deep miss out
East Zone will be without two prominent names, Riyan Parag and Akash Deep, both of whom continue their rehabilitation after undergoing surgeries. Parag is recovering from right shoulder surgery, while Akash Deep remains sidelined following back surgery. Neither player was considered for selection as they continue their recovery programmes.
East Zone Squad for Duleep Trophy 2026
Full Squad: Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sudip Gharami, Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Suraj Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan (captain), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (vice-captain), Virat Singh, Kumar Kushagra, Shikhar Mohan, Subranshu Senapati, Abhijit Sarkar, Anukul Roy and Denish Das.
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Standbyes: Ayush Loharuka, Sridam Paul, Sambit S Baral, Sharandeep Singh and Swastik Samal.
The Duleep Trophy, one of India’s premier first-class competitions, gets underway in Bengaluru on August 23.
The Philadelphia 76ers figure to be at or near the top of the Eastern Conference after a busy offseason that brought in Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, and a slew of others to join Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe on a talented roster. The Sixers now have one of the best rosters in the league and should be contending for a title in the upcoming season.
With that being said, the Sixers should still be at the top of the East. However, when asking former champion Jason Williams, he isn’t buying the Sixers:
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The Knicks are going to be better. Miami is going to be better. Orlando Magic will finish higher than the Sixers…Atlanta will finish higher.
Please be advised that the clip below contains language that some might consider offensive.
One has to wonder if Williams is just trolling, but he does have a point about a team like the Knicks, for example. That’s a team that has been together through all of the playoff wars and just won a championship. The Sixers will have to eventually match up with them in terms of chemistry and such.
However, the Magic is a big stretch. Orlando has a ton of talent led by Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, and have a new coach in Sean Sweeney, but that duo has yet to really figure it out. They probably have more chemistry, but the Sixers are the supremely talented team. It’s hard to really envision the Magic finishing ahead of the Sixers in the 2026-27 season.
We’re now on Episode 3 of The Lab with PGA Tour Putting Performance Advisor Stephen Sweeney, and I’ve not been shy about how this experience changed my game. In Episode 1 we talked all about setup, and Sweeney basically changed every single part of how my body sets up to the ball. In Episode 2 he walked me through the idea of capture speed, and how staying consistent with your intended speed can help make more putts, and now for Episode 3 we’re tackling green reading. I wasn’t shy about green reading being the worst part of my putting performance, but one simple sentence ended up turning it all around.
As we know from previous episodes there’s basically three reasons a player will miss a putt. There are technical reasons, which include a small portion of the actual equipment in your hands, there’s speed control, and there’s the read you decided on in the first place. As Sweeney explains in the video, the majority of the time the problem starts with the read the player thought they had in their head.
“Any putt within 1º of the intended start line is not a technical reason for missing a putt,” Sweeney says.
To get started working on my green reading skills he had me mark a point on the Platform Golf putting green in his Jupiter, Florida studio. This point was meant to be where I thought the putt was going to break. I accidentally failed to follow directions and I ended up signaling the spot where I was trying to start my putt.
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Sweeny fired up his Quintic Overhead technology and marked that spot on the green so we could keep track of where I thought the line was, as well as the several putts I would end up hitting before we figured it out. (Spoiler: I was very, very far off.) I just couldn’t seem to match the speed and line that was needed for this seemingly simple indoor putt. By the fourth try I was hitting the ball way too hard for my own comfort level, so clearly something was wrong in the intention for the line that I created.
While I continued to miss putts, Sweeney expressed his frustration with how frequently amateurs under-read their putts.
“I go out and play and I’ll hear caddies from this distance say something is a ball right or a ball left. It’s never a ball outside left. Not from this distance.”
After several missed putts, Sweeney dropped a stat on me that completely changed the way I think about reading a green:
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When you miss a putt on the high side, the miss will only be affected by about 50% of the read. If you read a putt one foot out to the right of a hole and you miss on the high side, the miss is only going to be about 6″ assuming you got the speed even remotely correct. When you miss on the low side though, the miss is multiplied by a factor of three. If you read a putt one foot out to the right and you end up missing low, you could end up three feet gone on the low side.
Read that again! That statement changed everything for me.
Essentially when you miss on the high side, you’re able to be more aggressive with the putt itself. Mostly because you’re hitting the putt uphill for a longer duration of time, the effect of gravity towards the end of the putt is decreased. If you miss on the low side, you’re letting gravity impact the ball much sooner in the duration of the putt and it will only continue to pull on the ball worse.
Sweeney finished off with a funny story mentioning that he does teach Aim Point but he knows it’s not for everyone.
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“When it comes to the amateur game one of the best tips I got was actually from an 8-handicap dentist. He said that whatever he thinks the read is, he just plays double. Now it’s probably the easiest piece of advice I can give to an amateur golfer.”
FIFA said Tuesday it plans to sell a stake in the business operations of the World Cup and its other competitions through the creation of a semi-private subsidiary. The decision marks a dramatic attempt to reshape the commercial landscape of global football, while opening a new front in a long-running battle with Europe for control over the massive wealth generated by the sport.
Sir Garfield Sobers was called the “greatest all-round cricketer the world has ever known” by former team-mate Sir Clive Lloyd at the legendary West Indies player’s state funeral in Barbados.
Lloyd described all-rounder Sobers, who died aged 89 on 17 July, as “a man who lived in the hearts and minds of Caribbean people and who became a source of inspiration to millions throughout the world”.
An entertaining left-handed batter and bowler of seam and spin, Sobers played 93 Tests between 1954 and 1974, scoring 8,032 runs and taking 235 wickets.
The funeral was staged at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, the principle ground in Barbados and home to a pavilion named after Sobers.
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Lloyd and fellow West Indies legends Brian Lara and Desmond Haynes were among those who spoke at the state service of thanksgiving, which was also attended by Barbados president Jeffrey Bostic, prime minister Mia Mottley and Barbadian music superstar Rihanna.
West Indies Test captain Roston Chase, who comes from Barbados, vice-captain Jomel Warrican and the current side’s Barbadian players were also in attendance, having completed a Test victory over Pakistan on Monday, winning by 90 runs inside four days in Trinidad.
“Sir Garfield Sobers was not merely the outstanding cricketer of his generation,” Lloyd added. “He brought to the beautiful game a rare combination of brilliance, imagination, courage and joy.”
Sobers’ coffin was draped in the flag of Barbados and set off from the Parliament Buildings in Bridgetown on a gun carriage for a formal procession through the nation’s capital.
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On arrival at the stadium, the carriage passed through a guard of honour of raised cricket bats.
“This is not a sad moment,” Lara said of his mentor. “This is a moment for us to celebrate and I hope you feel the same. Today we celebrate the remarkable life of the greatest all-round cricketer.
“We celebrate a man who gave so much to his family, to Barbados, to the West Indies and all of us who had the privilege of knowing him.”
Sobers scored 365 not out against Pakistan in 1958 – an effort which stood as the record Test score for 36 years.
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He was also named one of Wisden’s five cricketers of the 20th century.
During his stint at Nottinghamshire in 1968, Sobers became the first player to hit a six off all six balls in an over in a first-class match.
Mottley described Sobers as “a man who if he had not achieved any of those great feats on the cricket field would have been immortalised by his community as a good man and a great man”.
Reverend Canon Guy Hewitt read out a message from King Charles during the service.
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“History is distinguished with sporting champions whose records have rightly commanded respect across generations,” the message read. “There have been far fewer however whose name along brings a smile to people’s faces across Barbados, the Caribbean and the Commonwealth.
“Sir Garfield Sobers belongs very firmly in the latter category. I send my deepest sympathies to Sir Garry’s family as they come to terms with this great loss.”
Sobers’ body lay in state at the Barbados parliament on Monday and at the Kensington Oval on Tuesday, with national dignitaries and members of the public able to pay their respects.
He will be laid to rest at Coral Ridge Memorial Gardens in the south of Barbados.
Malaysian-American flyweight Muay Thai standout Johan Ghazali is not looking for a technical chess match at The Inner Circle 24 on Friday, July 31. “Jojo” is looking for exactly the kind of fight Ramadan Ondash brings, and he has been here before.
Ghazali carries eight ONE Championship victories into Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok this Friday.
He has since navigated the pressures and setbacks that come with competing at the global level, including a unanimous decision loss to Shimon Yoshinari at ONE SAMURAI 1 in April.
He sees in Ondash a reflection of his own trajectory at an earlier stage, and that perspective shapes exactly how confident he is about the outcome.
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Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
The Rentap Muay Thai and Superbon Training Camp athlete told ONE Championship:
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“He knows this fight will be the biggest one yet for him. He has to get past me. I’m ready for a fighter of his style and his caliber. I love this type of brawl-style fight. This is always my bread and butter.”
He continued:
“I see Ramadan as a version of myself from two to three years ago in terms of an experience standpoint. I have the experience now, and I’m a little more mature than him heading into this fight.”
Johan Ghazali plans to keep Ramadan Ondash guessing
Johan Ghazali’s game plan extends beyond simply outlasting Ondash in a physical exchange.
The Malaysian-American is aware that a one-dimensional approach against a versatile, aggressive opponent gives away the element of surprise.
He intends to use every tool in his arsenal to stay unpredictable throughout.
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“I’m gonna do it in my favor in the ways that I’ve learned through experience from fighting good fighters. I’ll use all of my advantages to keep him guessing, and I don’t want to be reliant on just one thing,” “Jojo” told the promotion.
Fans can watch the flyweight clash live by purchasing The Inner Circle at live.onefc.com.
Bournemouth’s plans for the new season have been dealt a blow after forward Junior Kroupi was ruled out for around three months with a foot injury.
Kroupi, who has been chased by a number of clubs this summer, sustained the problem during the Cherries’ ongoing pre-season tour of Austria and underwent successful surgery on Wednesday after he returned to England.
The highly-rated French prospect is expected to be sidelined for three to four months, which will rule him out of the start of the club’s maiden Europa League campaign.
Bournemouth finished sixth last season to secure continental football for the first time after Kroupi struck 13 goals during an outstanding individual campaign.
A host of clubs around the world, including the Cherries’ Premier League rivals Tottenham and Arsenal, had placed the 20-year-old attacker high on their wish list, The Independentunderstands.
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However, Bournemouth’s stance had always been that Kroupi was not for sale this summer along with midfielder Alex Scott and Brazilian winger Rayan.
Even with this unexpected injury problem, the south-coast club remain determined to keep hold of Kroupi to boost new boss Marco Rose in his first campaign at Vitality Stadium.
David Benavidez put in one of the performances of the year when he dethroned unified cruiserweight world champion Gilberto Ramirez in May, and now ‘The Mexican Monster’ is set to face another world champion, with a November fight date being targeted.
Benavidez halted Ramirez in a dominant display upon his cruiserweight debut just two months ago, but despite prior intentions to return to light heavyweight during the aftermath, it has since become clear that Benavidez’s future is at 200lbs.
Still, an in-demand fight with Dmitry Bivol continues to be mentioned, but so does a potential cruiserweight match-up against Jai Opetaia, who has recently filed a lawsuit against the IBF after believing that the sanctioning body’s decision to strip him as champion was unfair.
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Avoiding those complications, Benavidez is instead targeting an alternate world title, with a November showdown against WBC cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian now nearing a deal, as per BoxingScene.
The report states that the 29-year-old’s promoter says the fight is a done deal on their end, and they know away Mikaelian’s signature. It will likely end up in Las Vegas, though other locations have not been ruled out.
Mikaelian is a two-time WBC champion, first winning the belt with a third round stoppage win over Ilunga Makabu in November 2023. He controversially lost his title to Badou Jack in May 2025, before regaining it in their rematch seven months later.
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