Minnesota Vikings: Five potential free agent safety targets
By Dan Zinski
2. George Iloka
Mike Zimmer was defensive coordinator of the Bengals when Cincinnati took Iloka in the fifth round of the 2012 draft. In two years under Zimmer, Iloka developed into one of the better safeties in the NFL.
We know Zimmer loves players who understand his scheme and play well within it, and Iloka would seem to fit that bill. He’s big and long at 6-4, 225 and has very strong coverage skills.
Iloka may not be a great in-the-box safety but he’s a good enough tackler who has been well-coached throughout his career. The Vikings don’t necessarily need a big hitter out of their other safety spot but they do need someone who knows how to do basic things like beat cut blocks and wrap up. In other words, someone who is not Andrew Sendejo.
The Bengals likely will look to lock Iloka up so the chances of him actually hitting the market are fairly slim, but if for some reason he does escape Cincinnati, he could very well end up on Minnesota’s shopping list.