A Versatile Defender for Brian Flores
After the rather quiet free agency period for the Minnesota Vikings, the draft is next on the offseason docket. On offense, Kevin O’Connell would likely like to welcome a new center and perhaps another running back. Brian Flores, his defensive counterpart, would certainly enjoy a new defensive tackle and help in the secondary.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores is still a safety short and if we know one thing, it’s that his defense works best with some sweet safeties. Harrison Smith is either set to retire or will play one more season. Either way, the Vikings need some young talent at the position next to Joshua Metellus.
That brings us to safety, Bud Clark from TCU.
Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report views the Vikings as the best fit for the versatile defender.
He wrote, “After 14 seasons, Harrison Smith’s tenure with the Minnesota Vikings may be coming to an end. Even if he decides to return for one more year, the team still needs help at safety and someone who can be a long-term option. TCU’s Bud Clark is the incoming class’ most naturally instinctive backline defender. Over the last four seasons, the two-time second-team All-Big 12 selection accumulated 21 passes defensed and 15 interceptions.”
While Smith’s future is uncertain, the Vikings still have Metellus on the roster, as well as Theo Jackson and Jay Ward. Both have starting experience, but Jackson was benched for Ward later in the season and it remains to be seen if either is viewed as a starter moving forward.
Clark, a third- or fourth-round pick in April, could add some youth to the training camp competition. The Vikings have picks 82 and 97, which is the range Clark is expected to be selected.
Bleacher Report’s scout Daniel Harms wrote: “Clark is always around the football and it shows in his ball production. He’s a true ballhawk safety who operates best as a free-flowing defender or robber, where he can read the quarterback and break on throws. The size he brings at 6’1″, 188 pounds allows him to flex as a big nickel and man up against tight ends. He has the experience to handle many different roles for a defense.”
A player who can do several jobs on defense will always be high on Flores’ wish list. Clark played a whopping 61 games over six seasons at TCU, accumulating 214 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 15 interceptions.
Sobleski likes the fit: “By placing Clark in Brian Flores’ exotic defensive scheme, he can be molded into a chess piece capable of making quarterbacks pay for their mistakes. With the amount of pressure the Vikings tend to apply, Clark can capitalize and give Minnesota’s offense extra possessions. Whether as a starting safety or a flex defender deployed all over the field, Clark gives Minnesota the type of athlete it needs for Flores’ scheme to evolve even further.”
The defense carried Minnesota to nine wins in the 2025 season after already being one of the league’s best in the previous campaign. This offseason, the squad parted ways with Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen, which surely weakens the defensive line on paper, even though they didn’t play up to expectations. Smith’s potential retirement is the other change that could weaken the defensive unit. The only other personnel change of note is the arrival of corner James Pierre.
If the Vikings miss out on Ohio State’s Caleb Downs in the first round, they could still target Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman or Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren early in the draft, who both have been popular mock draft options.
Rob Brzezinski will be in charge and if he’s going a different route with his first pick, Clark might be a decent fit for Flores’ defense as an early contributor in his career that doesn’t need a long time adjusting to the next level.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.