It’s no secret that Tennessee Titans safety Kevin Byard has been one of the most consistent players in the NFL over the last six seasons.
The All-Pro safety is one of the best all-around defenders at his position who is best known for his ball-hawking abilities on the backend of the Titans’ defense.
Ever since Byard became a full-time starter (2017), he leads all safeties with a whopping 28 interceptions over that time. He’s also recorded an impressive average overall grade of 81.3 since the start of 2017, per Pro Football Focus.
That type of elite consistency is why Byard routinely finds himself in the conversation for one of the best safeties in the league, and that was no different in Doug Farrar’s recent rankings of the 11 best safeties for Touchdown Wire.
Farrar has Byard ranked as the seventh-best safety in the league, stating the following:
Death, taxes, and Kevin Byard playing high-quality ball at the safety position. Some things, you can just count on. The third-round pick out of Middle Tennessee State in 2016 is coming into his eighth NFL season, and in 2022, he allowed 33 catches on 49 targets for 409 yards, 172 yards, three touchdowns, four interceptions, two pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 79.4 — the lowest rating he allowed since 2018’s 55.8.
Byard’s 506 snaps at free safety in 2022 marked a bit of a downturn, as he played a few more box and slot roles, but when he was in the back third, he was adept as ever at jumping routes and picking off passes.
In my opinion, Byard’s ability to do everything well, while also being elite at the most important aspects of his position, makes him a top-five safety at the very worst.
The All-Pro safety has routinely shown he’s one of the best at his position in any given season, while also making a strong case for himself as THE very best whenever he’s actually complemented with consistent play around him.
Nonetheless, Farrar did a good job of picking out a few examples that show exactly what it is that makes Byard such a respected player, so if you’d like to check out those clips, make sure to click the link above to be directed to the original article.
