Jayron Kearse, safety
Despite being one of two rookies to start a game for the Vikings in 2016 (Treadwell started in the Thanksgiving Day matchup against the Detroit Lions), Kearse’s future on the roster is still a bit of a mystery. At 6’4 and 220 pounds, he has the size to matchup well with some of NFL’s biggest receivers today. But his coverage and tackling abilities are still a bit lacking.
His inexperience reared its ugly head during Minnesota’s game against the Chicago Bears back in Week 8. Kearse took a bad angle when trying to make a tackle and it led to a 69-yard gain by Bears running back Jordan Howard.
Those are the types of mistakes that have to be fixed if the safety has any hopes of becoming a starter on the Vikings’ roster in the near future. The best case scenario for Kearse is likely another year as a backup and then an opportunity to start on the team’s defense in 2018.