The Most Intriguing Spot to Watch in Vikings OTAs
With OTAs in full swing, the Minnesota Vikings will use the practice sessions to slowly get up to speed in time for training camp two months from now. The coaches keep preaching that OTAs aren’t for competition, but players always have something to prove.
While all eyes, as always, will be on the quarterbacks, it might be more fascinating to monitor another position group. Following Harrison Smith’s exit (at least for now), the Vikings have to reshuffle their safety group and find a new hierarchy.
Joshua Metellus will be one of the 11 starters; his exact position has to be defined. He already stepped into a more traditional safety role in 2025, and without Smith, that usage would likely increase further compared to the versatile role he had in the early years under Brian Flores.
The remaining depth chart is up for grabs, with three players aiming to secure playing time. That includes Jay Ward, Theo Jackson, and Jakobe Thomas. Though their careers span from rookie to fifth-year players, their experience levels aren’t too different. Sure, Ward and Jackson have played some NFL ball, but neither has crossed or come close to the 1,000-snap threshold. In four years with the Vikings, Jackson has accumulated 752 defensive snaps; Ward’s number climbed to 311 in his third year.
Generally, rookies try to unseat veteran players, who have seen it all in the NFL. That’s the battle rookie linebacker Jake Golday will have to fight with Blake Cashman and Eric Wilson.
At safety, none of the three competitors has established itself as a starter in the Twin Cities. Jackson was handed the starting job in the three-man safety rotation last year. He was supposed to step into Cam Bynum’s role, but Flores swapped him for Ward later in the season.
Minnesota’s 2022 addition appeared in 14 games and started 8 of them, but his snap counts declined throughout the season. In the first seven games of the year, he averaged 57.3 defensive snaps (95%), but in his remaining seven, that dropped to 23.3 (35.8%).
Though Ward appeared to be a late-season riser with some promising outings, he still only played 248 defensive snaps over the course of the season and the 311 defensive snaps in three years of NFL football isn’t much of a resume either.
Third-rounder Thomas doesn’t just have a small chance, but he’ll have a massive opportunity. In college, he appeared in 53 games, including 16 in last year’s Miami team that had a deep playoff run. Thomas recorded 206 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and 9 interceptions during his impressive college career, which began at Middle Tennessee. After three years, he transferred to Tennessee and finally ended up at Miami.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell said about the rookie after the draft, “His play style jumps off the tape. He’s a very, very highly intelligent player that we were able to really dive into. Jakobe’s a good blitzer, he’s a good tackler, and I know Flo’ (Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores) is incredibly excited about him as a communicator and his upside football I.Q.”
A blitzer with high football IQ is primed to excel under Flores’ watch.
OTAs won’t reveal the Week 1 safety depth chart, but they can give us hints who’s starting into the summer as the top option between the trio.
The safety competition will likely remain fluid throughout the summer, and Flores may ultimately rotate multiple players depending on matchups and packages. Still, the early OTA reps matter because they establish trust, communication, and positioning within one of the league’s most demanding defensive systems.
Whether it’s Jackson reclaiming momentum, Ward building on last year’s late surge, or Thomas forcing his way into the conversation immediately, the Vikings suddenly have one of the roster’s most fascinating under-the-radar battles unfolding in the secondary.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.