Bud Clark

The Player 

Clark is a versatile playmaker with a strong frame and good top-end speed. He recognizes route combinations, breaks on the ball well, and jumps routes in off-coverage. His balance and quickness allow him to match up with slot receivers underneath and he can turn and run

with them when his footwork is sound. He’s a true ball hawk who picked off 15 passes and recorded 35 passes defended over the past four seasons. He tracks the ball and closes well. He doesn’t catch everything he gets his hands on, but he elevates and times his jumps well.

He can get grabby and was penalized seven times in 2025. As is often the case with ball hawks, he gets caught out of position on occasion when he gambles trying to jump routes, and he can be manipulated by the quarterback’s eyes. He missed six tackles after the catch in 2025. He plays downhill and closes well running the alley in run support, and he can sift through traffic and get to the ballcarrier in short-yardage and goal-line situations.

He has a tendency to fall off tackles and he’s not a violent striker with great stopping power. He isn’t big or strong enough to regularly hold up in the box. He’s done well in the predraft process, standing out at the Senior Bowl and testing well at the combine. He primarily played over the slot and in the box. Last season, he logged 162 snaps at free safety, according to PFF, the highest single-season total in his career. 

The Draft

Clark is a top-seven safety prospect, and a top-100 overall prospect in this class. 

The Projection

Clark will likely start his NFL career as a no. 3 safety, with the potential to develop into a starter early in his career. A potential comp is the Bears’ Coby Bryant, a college corner who moved to safety in the NFL. Bryant didn’t test as well as Clark coming out of college, but they have similar frames and both are instinctive playmakers.