Is it possible that the young safety is ready to step into a starting role for the Minnesota Vikings as soon as this upcoming season?
Standing at 6-foot-4, Jayron Kearse is certainly not in the mold of the prototypical, modern day NFL safety. But the Minnesota Vikings saw something in Kearse last year and chose to select him in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Unlike the majority of players who get drafted in the seventh round, the safety actually saw a good amount of time on the field for the Vikings in 2016. Most of his snaps came on special teams, but he did get the opportunity to start in one game last year when Minnesota faced off against the Chicago Bears in Week 8.
Unfortunately, Kearse made a few too many mistakes that night against the Bears and the Vikings eventually replaced him on the defense with fellow safety Anthony Harris.
But his mistakes were not something that came as a shock to the Minnesota coaching staff since he was a rookie who was drafted in the seventh round. At least they should not have been.
Coming out of the University of Clemson, Kearse was regarded as a player who was gifted with raw size and athleticism but needed to find a way to polish his skills if he was going to be productive on the NFL level.
Entering his second year with the Vikings, the young safety has definitely noticed things getting a little easier during the team’s offseason practices.
Minnesota Vikings
"“Things have definitely slowed down. I can play faster, I can understand the defense more, I can put guys into position, I can make calls, (and I’m) talking more with the guys. Then being out with the older guys, they understand that you’re getting better and you’re understanding things more. So it’s been real different for me to be out there running with the (first team defense) sometimes, and the (second team defense), and then even going out with the (third team defense) with the young guys and just seeing the way those guys move and know that I was just in that position last year.”"
Right now, Kearse is the presumed backup for Minnesota strong safety Andrew Sendejo heading into this season. But a strong training camp and preseason could possibly cause the Vikings’ coaching staff to consider opening the year with Kearse starting in the defensive backfield next to free safety Harrison Smith.
Sendejo is a solid player, but he has not done anything in his career with Minnesota to be considered a vital part of the team’s defense. So Kearse overtaking him in the starting lineup is a definite possibility to happen sooner than later.
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Especially when the defensive back guru known as Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer is the one teaching him how to become a better player.