5 defensive prospects for the Vikings to watch at the 2021 Senior Bowl

Hamsah Nasirildeen – S (Florida State)

The Vikings have to find some safety help in this year’s draft. They are likely going to let Anthony Harris walk in free agency and Harrison Smith, while still an all-time great, is aging and approaching the twilight of his amazing career. Behind him, Minnesota’s safety depth is lacking and this is a major issue.

There are plenty of quality defensive backs at this year’s Senior Bowl and one the Vikings should take a keen interest in is Hamsah Nasirildeen from Florida State.

The biggest thing that sticks out about Nasirildeen is his size. He’s a long, lanky 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds. He’s just a big intimidating presence on the field. He possesses above-average speed and he can close on a ball or a ball carrier in a hurry.

Nasirildeen is a versatile player who can be used up on the line of scrimmage to attack the run, blanket tight ends with his size, and use his solid coverage skills to hang with running backs or receivers who come his way.

The Vikings don’t have a second-round choice this year, but if Nasirildeen falls to the third or fourth round, they should definitely snap him up. Worst case, he would be a special teams standout in year one, with the potential to develop into a quality starter down the road.