Minnesota Vikings: Is Vonn Bell the right kind of safety?

The Minnesota Vikings have reportedly lined up a visit with Ohio State safety Vonn Bell.

Mike Zimmer says he wants to find the “right kind of safety” to line up opposite Harrison Smith. Could Ohio State’s Vonn Bell be that man? According to Rand Getlin of NFL Network, the Vikings are one of several teams who have arranged to meet with Bell.

The Cardinals, Bills and Jaguars also have reportedly made arrangements to speak with Bell, a man who is widely projected as a late first-round pick.

The 5-11, 200-pound Bell was second-team All-Big Ten in 2015, finishing the year with two picks and nine passes defensed. Bell led the Big Ten in interceptions in 2014 with six and had 91 tackles that year.

Scouting reports praise Bell for his size and athleticism, and note his solid ball skills and well-developed instincts. His interception numbers in college show the kind of playmaker he could be, though scouts note that he’s not very good running with the ball after making the pick (I guess you can rule him out as a punt returner then).

Clearly Bell possesses the skills to be a good coverage man in the NFL, but the question is can he develop into an all-around safety?

The issue with Bell is his lack of ability as a run defender. This line from a CBSSports.com scouting report may remind some Vikings fans of Robert Blanton, a player Minnesota just allowed to walk in free agency:

"Inconsistent breaking down in space with a bad habit of waiting on the ballcarrier and playing on his heels, causing him to be run over at the contact point."

Blanton ended up on the bench for the Vikings partly because of his lack of physicality against the run. Would Mike Zimmer really draft a safety who can cover but may be a very big liability in run support, an area Zimmer puts a big emphasis on?

It all goes back to the same question: What kind of safety is the right kind of safety? Zimmer indicated that he wants to complement Harrison Smith with a player whose skill-set will allow Smith’s own abilities to be unleashed more. This could mean Zimmer seeks a safety who can play alone in deep coverage, freeing up Smith to freelance more.

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Bell looks to be the kind of player who could cover a lot of space and give Zimmer more freedom to utilize Smith in more ways, but that plan runs into problems if Bell becomes a liability against the run.

At the end of the day, Zimmer seems to prefer versatile players over those who bring one specific skill to the table. For that reason, I’m skeptical that Vonn Bell represents Zim’s idea of the “right kind of guy.” I wouldn’t look for the Vikings to use the #23 pick on Bell. If he’s still around in the second, perhaps his one-dimensionality becomes less of an issue.