The Minnesota Vikings' defense was one of the best in the NFL a season ago, with its pass defense ranked second in the league, allowing 158.5 yards per game.
Going into the offseason, the only real concern about the secondary is who will replace Harrison Smith if he retires from the NFL, which is expected soon. ESPN NFL analyst Aaron Schatz projected one free agent landing spot for every NFL team, as he likes the Vikings to land Kansas City Chiefs safety Bryan Cook.
"Cook, a rangy safety, would be perfect playing deep in coordinator Brian Flores' zone schemes. Cook had a career-high 85 tackles in 2025 and is still only 27 years old. The Vikings were 30th in DVOA against deep passes (16 or more air yards), while the Chiefs were 15th. Cook would provide an immediate improvement in that area for Minnesota."
The Minnesota Vikings could replace veteran safety Harrison Smith with Bryan Cook
Back in 2022, Cook was a second-round pick of the Chiefs, as it wasn't until the next year that he became a full-time starter for Kansas City. He finished last season with a career-high 85 tackles, six pass deflections, and one tackle for loss in 17 games. While the stats might not wow Vikings fans, Cook was one of Pro Football Focus's top-five graded safeties in the NFL, earning an 83.5, ranking fourth out of 98 safeties.
While the Vikings' passing yards were low, many would argue that Minnesota's front seven was the reason the defense played as well as it did against the pass. It was the pressure on the quarterback that came from guys like Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner, and Jalen Redmond that helped with that.
There are some solid pieces in the secondary already, with Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers. Smith didn't play like the safety the Vikings have been accustomed to in the past, and it became clear that his prime has come and gone for one of the team's fan favorites.
Cook has a combination of youth and experience and is solid in coverage, which will only help the Vikings. Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores could really use Cook in a lot of ways on his defense and might finally get him to reach the full potential the Chiefs never did. Cook could instantly upgrade a secondary that might end up being one of the best in the NFL.