Vikings Remaining In Touch With S Harrison Smith

Though the Vikings lost Harrison after he spent more time at deep safety than everyone else in the defensive backs room, the team didn’t make any major moves to address the position. The defense returns Theo Jackson and Josh Metellus, who did not trail far behind Harrison in safety snaps last year. If no changes occur to the room, Metellus is expected to maintain his starting role, and Jackson is expected to step into Smith’s former role.

Jay Ward, a 2023 fourth-round pick out of LSU, also returns hoping to step into Jackson’s old third safety role. He got to play as a starter — for five of 17 games — for the first time in his career last year. He’ll be attempting to hold off similarly named rookies Jakobe Thomas and Jacob Thomas for that role as we near the regular season. Jakobe was taken by Minnesota in the third round this year, but injury has held him out for a good portion of the preseason. Jacob has really impressed the Vikings as an undrafted signee out of James Madison and stands a strong chance at making the team’s initial 53-man roster.

With only four healthy safeties on the roster and not a lot of experience behind Metellus and Jackson, a reunion with Smith doesn’t appear to be out of the question. O’Connell told the media his recent conversations with Smith have covered a “wide variety of subjects” including O’Connell “checking in on where Smith’s head is in terms of this season.” The fifth-year skipper added that “he would provide updates if there is an update to make.”