6 safeties the Vikings could select in the 2021 NFL Draft

Paris Ford (Pittsburgh)

Measurements:

• Height: 6-feet | Weight: 190 pounds

2020 stats:

• 41 tackles
• 3 TFLs
• 3 interceptions

There is a lot to like about Pitt’s Paris Ford, but there are also a lot of question marks that will scare teams away. His tape is phenomenal, especially when you account for his physicality despite being one of the smaller guys on this list.

However, his Pro Day was a lot worse than bad, which was a theme for Pittsburgh guys. He ran a 4.90s 40-yard dash, among the worst of all safeties this season, and had pretty underwhelming numbers across the board. He was in the first or second percentile among safeties in every category at his Pro Day workout.

Testing does matter, don’t get me wrong, but don’t let it completely de-value what Ford can do on the field. He has a high motor with a lot of tenacity as a tackler. He will be fine as a single deep safety that primarily plays in coverage because he lacks the size and pursuit to be reliable near the line.

His size is not great, and he is also pretty inconsistent with his attacking angles, which often force him to lunge and miss tackles in space. When he does connect, he can lay the wood as well as anyone in this class.

The Vikings may take a shot on him because of how much they seemed to love Andrew Sendejo, and Ford is a similar player to the former Viking. Ford would cost a lot less as a sixth-round pick than some of the other guys on this list that will go on Day 2, and that will be factored into their decision as well.