Jayron Kearse – S
Over the last three years, Kearse has been an intriguing player to watch develop in Minnesota. He was given more opportunities on the Vikings’ defense last season and he should expect to get even more in 2019.
Taken by Minnesota in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Kearse is a unique weapon for Mike Zimmer to utilize out on the field.
At 6-foot-4, he can match up well with opposing tight ends in coverage and he has the speed to keep up with most NFL running backs and wide receivers as well. Kearse’s tackling skills have also improved during his time with the Vikings and he finished with a career 32 total tackles in 2018.
For the upcoming season, the 25-year-old safety is likely going to play a significant role for Minnesota’s defense, at least during the beginning.
With Vikings cornerback Mike Hughes coming off a torn ACL and Holton Hill suspended for the first four games of the season, Minnesota will likely lean on Kearse’s abilities more until their defensive backfield is able to get back to full strength in 2019.
If he ends up playing well during the early part of the upcoming season, then the Vikings may have no other choice than to keep his involvement in the defense at a significant level for the rest of the year.