1. Harrison Smith, safety
If you asked knowledgable fans of the Minnesota Vikings who the best player on the team’s roster is, odds are you would hear the name of Harrison Smith more often than any other individual who wears purple and gold.
Smith is a four-time Pro Bowl player who has been named first-team and second-team All-Pro in his NFL career. In addition to those accolades, fans only need to see what head coach Mike Zimmer can get out of Smith to see why he is so important to the defense.
Zimmer can put his prize safety back into coverage, use him in contain, have him blitz the quarterback, or do just about anything asked of him. This makes him extremely valuable to disrupting opposing offenses and disguising the strategy the defense is using.
Although he turned 30 years old this year, Smith is established as one of the best players in the league and has shown absolutely no signs of slowing down. He should be a force to be reckoned with during the upcoming season.