4 ways the Minnesota Vikings can improve on defense in 2021

Be decisive on Harris replacement

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Anthony Harris probably won’t be on the Vikings in 2021. The safety played the previous season on the franchise tag and it was clear from quite early on that he was never going to do enough to earn a longer commitment from the franchise in the current financial climate.

This is something Minnesota has probably known for a while. So a plan should already be in place regarding a potential list of replacements that can hit the ground running alongside Harrison Smith next season, who is also heading into the twilight of his career.

Just which way Minnesota goes with this move is going to be pivotal. They can ill-afford to have a lack of reliability on the backend with two young cornerbacks on the outside, so even though Smith is still playing at a high level, more is needed.

Harris wasn’t playing poorly by any stretch of the imagination. But it was particularly evident that the veteran had already checked out down the stretch and bringing in a young, energetic presence to learn from Smith is the best (and cheapest) solution at this juncture.

Vikings Draft 2021: Post-Super Bowl four-round mock draft

With the Super Bowl now in the rearview mirror, who are some of the prospects the Minnesota Vikings might select in the 2021 NFL Draft?

One potential problem facing the Vikings is they don’t have a second-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft, so top safety prospects such as Trevor Moehrig, Jevon Holland, and Richie Grant will likely be off the board by then. A veteran like Tre Boston is a possible option for Minnesota if the price is right, although he went through his fair share of poor form with the Carolina Panthers in 2020.