Projected starters for the Minnesota Vikings during the 2019 season
By Adam Carlson
Defensive Secondary
- Anthony Harris – safety
- Xavier Rhodes – cornerback
- Harrison Smith – safety
- Trae Waynes – cornerback
It’s pretty amazing to think that three of the four starters in the Minnesota Vikings defensive backs grouping were first-round picks and each of those players have at least four seasons of experience in the NFL.
Rhodes and Waynes have been a strong duo of cornerbacks for the last few years. A solid combination of coverage and tackling skills, the two have been known to make things very difficult for some of the league’s premier pass catchers.
On the other hand, you have Harrison Smith coming back. An important tool in Mike Zimmer’s defense, Smith is used all over the field in different situations to make his value in the secondary extremely high.
Andrew Sendejo moved on to Eagles and the Vikings made the decision to tag Anthony Harris. Harris was actually the Vikings highest rated defender at 89.0 according to Pro Football Focus and the next highest player at 79.7 wasn’t even close. He should beat out Jayron Kearse and the others for the starting gig.