Earlier this offseason, media analysts suggested that the Minnesota Vikings should acquire an established veteran at defensive back, such as Juan Thornhill or Shaquill Griffin, to round out the secondary.
The Cleveland Browns released Thornhill in February, which meant that he wouldn’t have counted against the compensatory formula had the Vikings signed him. He was the sort of ball-hawking free safety Minnesota could’ve used to mitigate losing Camryn Bynum. Minnesota could have easily re-signed Griffin for dirt cheap, which wouldn’t have impacted the comp formula.
A potential option at Safety for the @Vikings.
Juan Thornhill has graded better in overall defense and coverage for most of his career compared to Cam Bynum, per @PFF.
Also, since he will be released, he wouldn’t count toward compensatory pick formula. https://t.co/sFIzGkbI4y pic.twitter.com/sgaGcnMwFF
— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) February 24, 2025
However, Thornhill signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers while Griffin returned to the Seattle Seahawks. Later in the offseason, the Vikings were linked to bigger names. The Green Bay Packers released Jaire Alexander, Jalen Ramsey demanded a trade from the Miami Dolphins, and Asante Samuel Jr. is a talented young cornerback recovering from a neck injury. Still, the Vikings opted against signing a veteran defensive back to round out the secondary. Not only that, but Minnesota waived safety Bubba Bolden, who I expected to make the roster.
For a team that some analysts feel has depth concerns in the secondary, the Vikings appear content with their current defensive back room. Their inaction in adding an established veteran could signal that they are invested in their young defensive backs and are confident in their ability to contribute whenever their name is called. In particular, Mekhi Blackmon and Jay Ward are in prime position to be key contributors next season. How much faith Brian Flores actually has in Minnesota’s secondary depth remains to be seen.
Flores is notorious for using a ton of three-safety subpackages in his defense, to the point where Harrison Smith, Josh Metellus, and Theo Jackson could all be considered starters on defense. That means that third-year safety Jay Ward is the team’s primary backup. Ward has hardly seen the field in his time in Minnesota and has been limited to contributing on special teams. Betting on a largely unproven player like Ward becoming a key rotational player in 2025 could pay dividends from a cap management standpoint if it pans out.
Jay Ward is an aggressive player. Listed as a safety, he’s a better fit as a nickel. He has an elite 10-yard split and fits in well with what the Vikings will be running pic.twitter.com/ElJlAOQpeo
— Tyler Forness (@TheRealForno) April 29, 2023
Ward shares some similar traits to Metellus. If he can develop into 80% of the player Metellus is for 80% less than Metellus’ 2025 cap hit, that would be a huge win for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. However, the odds of that happening at all, let alone this season, are slim. That’s why it wouldn’t be surprising if Adofo-Mensah used some of Minnesota’s remaining $23 million in cap space to sign a veteran safety. Amid contract negotiations with Metellus, Adofo-Mensah would be wise to sign an insurance option if Metellus’ contractual demands are too rich for a safety.
In previous years, Minnesota has preferred to keep six safeties and five cornerbacks on the 53-man roster. With Bolden no longer on the roster, the Vikings only have five safeties on the roster in Smith, Metellus, Jackson, Ward, and special teams ace Tavierre Thomas. If the Vikings don’t sign a safety in free agency, then perhaps the decision to waive Bolden could serve as the catalyst that allows undrafted free-agent cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn to make the roster alongside Dwight McGlothern, who was a standout undrafted free agent last offseason.
Predicting who makes the 53-man roster before the start of training camps is a near-impossible task. If I had to guess what I think Minnesota’s defensive back room will look like come September, it would include the usual suspects like Smith, Byron Murphy Jr., Metellus, Isaiah Rodgers, Jackson, and Jeff Okudah. Off the bench, you’d have guys like Mekhi Blackmon, Jay Ward, Dwight McGlothern, and Tavierre Thomas. However, if I were the general manager, I would try to keep Zemaiah Vaughn on the 53-man roster and look into signing Bobby McCain to the practice squad.
I believe there is a discrepancy between how high the media is on Minnesota’s depth in the secondary versus how Brian Flores feels about the position group as a whole. The Vikings have a few defensive players, such as Ward and Blackmon, who have been developing in the background. This may finally be the year they’re allowed to break out.