The Minnesota Vikings secondary isn't the best in the NFL, but there is a wealth of talent on the back end. That didn't sway Pro Football Focus' John Kosko when he ranked the Vikings as the 27th-best secondary in the National Football League.
Kosko's reasoning was relatively simple: they don't have a superstar.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores introduced an exotic defense in 2023, and it came with mixed results. Safety Camryn Bynum was the top-graded player in the secondary (73.2), while Harrison Smith’s 68.9 grade was the fourth-best on the team. Here, you get solid but not great players in the secondary, but no superstar players are taking this unit to higher levels.
Is it fair to rank them that low because they lack a superstar? Absolutely not. The secondary is obviously better with a superstar just like any position group would be. However, the secondary is about the sum of its parts as much as it is about one great player.
The safety room for the Vikings is objectively great and one of the best in the National Football League with Josh Metellus, Camryn Bynum and Harrison Smith. They also have intriguing depth with Theo Jackson and Jay Ward. That doesn't include Lewis Cine, who the Vikings selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
The cornerback position is a different scenario. It's evident they have talent, but who will step up and become a consistent player opposite of Byron Murphy Jr.? That's a real concern for the Vikings, but it's not because they don't have talent. Mekhi Blackmon, Akayleb Evans, Shaquill Griffin, Khyree Jackson and Andrew Booth Jr. all have intriguing talent but need to take a step forward.
The Vikings will need to have someone step up but putting them at 27th behind the likes of the Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers is a decent insult.
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