Picking 53: The Safeties Will Be Very Active in Donatell Defense
K. Joudry
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Unless something is off with my math (very possible), the Minnesota Vikings have room for four safeties on their roster. There is very little drama among the top three. Nay, we all know that Harrison Smith, Camryn Bynum, and Lewis Cine will be on this team. Who else will make it? Does it even make sense to keep anyone beyond these three? Let’s explore how things could shake out.
The Vikings 53-Man Roster: Minnesota Will Lean on Their Safeties
Harrison Smith is a sensational player, someone who could reasonably flourish in the Ed Donatell defense. Over these past two seasons, Smith has found himself at 14th and 11th in the PFF safety rankings. We’re a long way from 2017 when he finished first overall, but he’s still a very good player (and that’s within the context a very poor Vikings defense in 2020 and 2021). Last year, he had 104 snaps at DL, 337 in the box, 156 in the slot, 25 out wide, and 426 at free safety. Many safeties are versatile – it’s often a prerequisite for the job – but one has to think that Smith is among the most versatile in the NFL.
Bynum is someone whom Vikings fans are excited about. He had limited opportunity in his rookie season – a mere 211 defensive snaps – but he did play well in those chances. Don’t forget that he was a college corner who was playing safety in his rookie season in the NFL. He was targeted 8 times and allowed 4 completions. He also had 3 PDs and an INT. We’ll need to see how he can perform with more opportunity in 2022.
Cine, of course, is also generating a ton of optimism. Many of us have seen the massive Cine hits from college, so many are anticipating that he’ll, at the very least, be a strong tackler as a rookie. The pre-draft discussion certainly emphasized his abilities as a tackler. The majority of his snaps came at free safety last season, so fans can probably expect Donatell to primarily leave Cine deep.
The other Minnesota Vikings safeties who are battling for a roster spot are Josh Metellus, Myles Dorn, and Mike Brown. Of the three, Metellus ought to have the advantage. PFF indicates that he had 88 snaps in kick coverage, 80 in the kick return unit, 79 in punt coverage, and 51 on punt return. In other words, he played a prominent role on special teams. His contributions on special teams and his physicality on defense will make him an appealing option to the new coaching staff.
The Send Off
I expect the Minnesota Vikings to keep four safeties on their team. At least three are staring down an important role on defense. Smith, Cine, and Bynum are in unless an injury undermines this roster certainty. After those three, I’ll role with Metellus due to his ability to contribute on special teams.
We’ll finish off the full 53-man roster prediction with the special teams.
Editor’s Note: This piece is part of a larger roster prediction series. The previous pieces have covered QB, RB, WR, TE, OL, DT, DE, OLB, MLB, and CB.
PurplePTSD Also Read: Irv Smith, Vikings Offense Looking for a Huge 2022 Season
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