Vikings Eye Another Swiss Army Knife for Brian Flores
Following the postseason defeat against the New York Giants in Kevin O’Connell’s first season as the team’s skipper, defensive coordinator Ed Donatell and his underwhelming defense were considered the culprits for the unforeseen season-ender.
Vikings Eye Another Swiss Army Knife for Brian Flores
Donatell’s era with the Vikings ended after only one season, and a new defensive captain was needed. A few weeks later, the franchise hired a rockstar, former Dolphins head coach and long-time Patriots assistant Brian Flores.
He quickly implemented an unusual defensive game plan built around blitzes and versatile defenders. Another one of those adaptable players could be acquired in the draft. The Vikings met with Kentucky’s Zion Childress, according to The Draft Network’s Ryan Fowler.
He noted on social media, “Kentucky DB Zion Childress has 30 visits scheduled with the Minnesota Vikings & Houston Texans, source said. Versatile secondary piece totaled over 850 snaps at nickel, in the box, and at free safety during his collegiate career.”
Flores wants players he can move around in numerous spots for various jobs to perfectly disguise his defensive play-call. Surely, the poster boy of that is safety Joshua Metellus, although the label safety doesn’t fully describe him.
Metellus lines up all over the place. Last season, he played 1,028 defensive snaps. Of those, 512 came in the box, 330 in the slot, 90 as a free safety, 63 on the defensive line, and 33 at outside cornerback.
Well, Childress has a comparable resume. In two seasons at Texas State and three at Kentucky, the defender logged over 3,000 defensive snaps, split into 91 on the defensive line, 966 in the box, 859 at free safety, 1,106 in the slot, and 86 as an outside cornerback.
Childress tabulated 283 tackles, 13 TFLs, three sacks, and one interception in his five-year career.
In 2023, Vikings Assistant Director of Player Personnel Chisom Opara explained:
“The idea of having an aggressive scheme, the idea of having a scheme that can dictate to the offense, part of that is having players that can play multiple roles so you don’t develop tendencies, so you don’t have certain guys who just specialize in doing certain things. So, the more versatile players you can add, the more you can kind of be the one who’s calling the shots a little bit and keeping the offense guessing as the game goes on.”
The defensive back checks that box.
In an interview with The Draft Network, Childress talked about his flexibility: “Playing all five positions in the secondary as a freshman helped prepare me. My second year at Texas State, my DB coach felt like I was a better fit at safety, so that’s when I started playing both safety spots as a true sophomore.”
He played quarterback in high school but transitioned to the secondary in college.
“When I transferred to Kentucky, being that versatile was pretty foreign to some of the guys. I knew multiple spots. It was very natural to me as a former quarterback. I didn’t find it difficult to learn. It was all about great communication. Playing multiple positions is still second nature to me. It makes me plug and play wherever I’m needed.”
Childress is expected to be a late-round pick, and he might even be available as an undrafted free agent, an area in which the Vikings have excelled in recent years. His running mate in the secondary, Maxwell Hairston, could be an option for the Vikings in the first round of the draft.
Not often does a player perfectly fit a certain team, but it’s easy to see the Kentucky defender in a purple uniform. Like Metellus, his primary position would be “safety,” and the Vikings might have an opening in that room following Cam Bynum’s exit.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt