Breaking down the Minnesota Vikings 53-man roster for the 2018 season

(Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
(Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /
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SEATTLE, WA - AUGUST 18: Safety Harrison Smith #22 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up prior to the game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on August 18, 2016 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – AUGUST 18: Safety Harrison Smith #22 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up prior to the game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on August 18, 2016 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /

Safeties (5)

Released: Tray Matthews

Arguably, Smith is the best safety in the league. His ability to anything asked of him in a Mike Zimmer defense keeps opposing offenses on their toes and allows Sendejo to roam the field and unleash some mighty hits on the opposition.

Picking up Iloka after he was released from the Cincinnati Bengals bring a former starter with a lot of great experience working with Zimmer to the team and the ability to fill in at any time when needed.

The only moderate surprise is Minnesota keeping five safeties instead of four. For a bit, it looked like the Vikings would need to choose between Kearse and Harris in order to squeeze the roster down to 53 players.

Thankfully, that wasn’t the case and the team can keep two safeties who are more than capable on defense and contribute well on special teams, adding even more value to a position where there is some solid depth.