Grading every Minnesota Vikings position group from the 2020 season

Safeties

Consistency at safety was nice for the Vikings in 2020. Nearly every positional grouping this past season saw changes to the starting unit, but Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris returned to take on the competition once again.

Harris took a big step backward this year compared to his previous two seasons. After being franchise tagged to stick around in 2020, odds are that his time in Minnesota is likely up since he probably won’t be tagged again and an extension seems highly unlikely.

On the other hand, Smith was the veteran presence in the secondary and a simplified defensive scheme limited his work near the line of scrimmage. Instead, playing him back in coverage led to him having 10 pass breakups and five interceptions.

Josh Metellus served as the primary backup for the Vikings’ top safety duo. Metellus showed a nose for the football in his rookie campaign, recovering two fumbles and accumulating nine tackles (eight solo). He could be a good asset for the future, but it is hard to determine if he could be taking over a starting role or not next season.

2020 Grade: B-