2017 Camp Battles: Safety

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Jun 27, 2017

There’s an argument to be made that safety is the most cerebral position on defense. Safeties have to read, react and attack every spot on the field, covering the deepest burners and tackling the bulkiest running backs. The Vikings are pretty locked in at starting safety with superstar Harrison Smith and Andrew Sendejo, who earned his keep in 2016. Behind those two are four young hopefuls competing over two or three roster spots. Everyone on this list dominated in college, and is hoping to keep their football dreams alive – a dream that will hinge on their performance in August.

  • Harrison Smith – There’s nothing keeping Harrison Smith off the field outside of his own health. Assuming he recovers from the ankle surgery he got in late March, he’ll be the star of the defense once more. If you want to know more about Harrison Smith, here’s a great video from Brett Kollmann and a Sports Illustrated profile.
  • Andrew Sendejo – Perhaps the most inspiring story to every young longshot on the roster is Andrew Sendejo. After going undrafted in the 2010 draft, Sendejo was a rookie minicamp tryout in Tampa Bay that wasn’t signed, and turned to the UFL for employment. After a successful (by UFL standards) season with the Sacramento Mountain Lions, Sendejo signed to the Cowboys practice squad, and his foot was in the door. Within five days, he was promoted to the active roster, knocking off defensive end Jimmy Saddler-McQueen. For every piece of good roster news in the NFL, there is equal and opposite bad news. In 2011, however, he failed to keep his spot on the Cowboys’ roster, spent about a week in San Francisco, and eventually ended up on the Vikings. From there, he worked his way from practice squad fodder to serviceable backup to entrenched starter. Barring a catastrophic regression or continued health issues, he’ll be the 2nd safety next to Harrison. But if he isn’t, his contract likely requires him to be an August cut, adding a new opportunity for the other youngsters.
  • Jayron Kearse – Upon arriving to Clemson, Jayron Kearse had the opportunity to make a unique choice. Kearse could play offense as a receiver or defense as a safety. Jayron Kearse wanted contact. Throughout his entire career at Clemson, Kearse was a lynchpin for the storied secondary. In his senior year, the 6’4” safety’s competitiveness stood out on the championship Tigers team. Kearse’s family, including longtime defensive end Javon Kearse and former West Virginia Mountaineer Brodrick Jenkins, swims in football talent. But despite incredible production in college, his odd size and awkward frame caused him to fall to the bottom of the draft, joining Clemson classmate Mackensie Alexander on the Vikings. His rookie season was a roller coaster, starting on a high note as the runner-up for Mr. Mankato. But in his first notable game action, Kearse was on the wrong side of a highlight run from fellow late-round rookie Jordan Howard. Kearse has a long way to go to earn any sort of starting role, but will be one of Sendejo’s principle challengers.
  • Anthony Harris – As a true freshman, Anthony Harris made an immediate impression and went on to have a nice career at Virginia, fostering NFL expectations. Unfortunately, injuries kept Anthony Harris a spectator during the 2015 pre-draft process. A productive player in college, Harris was projected as a 3rd round pick, but with no workouts and no ability to prove himself athletically, teams steered clear. Unlike Sendejo, the other UDFA in the safety group, Harris’s post-draft journey has been relatively stable. Thanks to injuries during his rookie year, Harris got the opportunity to start in a pivotal game against Arizona, proving his ability. He’s been in and out of the rotation ever since, filling in when needed. But with the addition of Jayron Kearse and Jack Tocho in the last two years, it’ll be harder and harder for Harris to retain his roster spot as an undersized safety in Mike Zimmer’s system.
  • Antone Exum Jr. – At Virginia Tech, Antone Exum was a highly touted player with a huge heart. His swagger and confidence, which rubbed some the wrong way, fueled his game.  Eventually, he was asked to transition from safety to cornerback, and played well until a torn ACL put a huge wrench in his college development. Partially due to this and partially due to perceived attitude issues, Exum fell to the 6th round of the 2014 draft. The Vikings switched him back to safety. By 2015, he got his first shot to prove himself in a 20-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons, highlighting it with the recovery of this memorable fumble. But with the acquisition of Jayron Kearse and Michael Griffin in the 2016 offseason, Exum’s path to the roster became an uphill battle. In the third preseason game, Exum suffered a leg injury that would lead him to be waived/injured. This year, he has to now overcome even more competition with Jack Tocho in the mix. For Exum, the college-to-pro decline has been a slow burn, and after two major leg injuries over three years, his career has never been in more jeopardy. He is in direct competition with Tocho and Harris, and one of the three will have to be cut.
  • Jack Tocho – For many years now, the NFL has had a desire to go international. Players like Jack Tocho, a first-generation Kenyan American, are a step toward that.At NC State, not only was Tocho a successful cornerback, but also hosted a talk show, “You Don’t Know Jack.” Catch an episode here. On the field, Tocho turned plenty of heads for the Wolfpack throughout his collegiate career. Tocho was a cornerback in college, but the Vikings plan to move him to safety, which makes a lot of sense when looking at his measurables. Tocho’s background as an academic star should make that transition easier than it is for most, but as a 7th round pick, it’ll still hurt his chances of making the roster. Tocho will look to crack the lineup, likely knocking Anthony Harris or Antone Exum off the roster if he’s successful. A good Tocho preseason would not only be good news for him, but also would throw Exum and Harris into a steel cage death match against one another. But struggle or injury could relegate him to the practice squad.

BATTLE TO WATCH: With Smith and Sendejo more or less entrenched as starters, the preseason’s events will have little impact on the regular season, barring injury. But with both players getting recent surgeries, injury is a relevant consideration. Jayron Kearse is the frontrunning understudy, leaving Harris, Exum and Tocho to battle over likely only a roster spot or two. Both Harris and Exum’s careers are circling the drain and could be reduced to desperation with an August cut, while Tocho’s worst-case-scenario (outside of injury) is a practice squad slot, thanks to his youth. There’s an outside chance one of these depth players supplants Sendejo, but don’t count on it.

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