Most NFL teams could always use help in the secondary.

The Arizona Cardinals are no different.

Could they help their defensive backfield by taking a safety in the 2017 NFL draft?

NFL DRAFT RANKINGS: Quarterbacks | Receivers | Running backs | Cornerbacks

MORE: Latest picks for the Arizona Cardinals in NFL mock drafts

With that in mind, the Heat Index takes a look at the top safeties in the 2017 NFL draft class, as ranked by several sites.

If the Cardinals take a safety in the first round, it will be the first time they have done so since taking Deone Bucannon No. 27 overall in 2014.

RELATED: Arizona Cardinals NFL draft history – QBs | WRs | RBs | DBs

Ranking NFL draft safety prospects:

walterfootball.com: Ohio State’s Malik Hooker No. 1, LSU’s Jamal Adams No. 2, Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers No. 3, Connecticut’s Obi Melifonwu No. 4, Texas A&M’s  Justin Evans No. 5

Sports Illustrated: Adams No. 1, Hooker No. 2, Peppers No. 3, Washington’s Budda Baker No. 4, Melifonwu No. 5

drafttek.com: Hooker No. 1, Adams No. 2, Peppers No. 3, Baker No. 4, Melifonwu No. 5

Pro Football Focus: Adams No. 1, Hooker No. 2, Melifonwu No. 3, Peppers No. 4, Evans No. 5

Fox Sports: Hooker No. 1, Adams No. 2, Utah’s Marcus Williams No. 3, Peppers No. 4, Baker No. 5

nj.com: Adams No. 1, Peppers No. 2, Melifonwu No. 3, Iowa’s Desmond King No. 4, Hooker No. 5

nfldraftcountdown.com: Adams No. 1, Hooker No. 2, Peppers No. 3, Melifonwu No. 4, Baker No. 5

draftutopia.com: Adams No. 1, Hooker No. 2, Melifonwu No. 3, Evans No. 4, Williams No. 5

draftwire.usatoday.com: Adams No. 1, Hooker No. 2, Baker No. 3, Melifonwu No. 4, King No. 5

draftsite.com: Hooker No. 1, Adams No. 2, Peppers No. 3, Williams No. 4, Baker No. 5

MORE: Ranking the biggest NFL draft busts of all time

Some other safeties listed in the rankings:

  • UCLA’s Fabian Moreau
  • Florida’s Marcus Maye
  • Michigan State’s Montae Nicholson
  • St. Francis’  Lorenzo Jerome
  • Auburn’s Johnathan ‘Rudy’ Ford
  • Alabama’s  Eddie Jackson
  • Oklahoma State’s Jordan Sterns
  • North Carolina State’s Josh Jones
  • Kansas’ Fish Smithson
  • Baylor’s Orion Stewart
  • Nebraska’s Nate Gerry
  • Colorado’s  Tedric Thomson
  • Louisville’s Josh Harvey-Clemons
  • Miami’s Rayshawn Jenkins
  • Boston College’s John Johnson

RELATED: Cardinals’ first-round draft picks since 2000: Hits and misses

The April 27 draft is almost here.

We don’t have to wait long now to find out what the Cardinals will do their pick at No. 13.

RELATED: NFL’s highest paid safeties | Players

For more from The Heat Index, go to heatindex.azcentral.com.

Follow Jeremy Cluff on Twitter.

Autoplay

Show Thumbnails

Show Captions