5 most explosive players on the Minnesota Vikings defense
By Nik Edlund
Harrison Smith – S
He may be one of the oldest Vikings defenders, but Harrison Smith is still one of the most explosive. When the Minnesota defense needs a big play more often than not, it’s The Hitman who comes through.
Harrison Smith has been a stalwart in the Vikings secondary going all the way back to the 2012 season. He has 747 career tackles, seven forced fumbles, 28 interceptions, 39 tackles for a loss, 13.5 sacks, and four touchdowns. The guy is a big play just waiting to happen, and at age 32, he shows no sign of slowing down.
Smith could be in store for his best season yet. He’s playing on one of the more talented defenses of his career and he should see plenty of opportunities for game-changing plays come his way.
His defensive line has Danielle Hunter back and it should be very stout against the run with Dalvin Tomlinson and Michael Pierce in the middle. It also has then depth at all four positions to keep the players fresh and the pressure coming.
He’s got Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks returning at linebacker and he has a secondary to work with that consists of Patrick Peterson, Bashaud Breeland, Mackensie Alexander, Cameron Dantzler, and Xavier Woods.
The Hitman’s career may be winding down, but he could go out with a major bang in 2021, as the defense looks like it has the potential to be one of the best in the league.