The Minnesota Vikings return eight defensive starters (in big nickel defense) from a year ago. Jonathan Bullard was upgraded to Jonathan Allen, Stephon Gilmore was replaced by Isaiah Rodgers, and the safety position vacated by Cam Bynum is likely to be filled by Theo Jackson, Bynum’s backup in each of the last two seasons.
The Vikings Have a Sneaky Wildcard Defender
Jackson is the obvious choice since the club didn’t add anyone in the draft or any big-name free agent and instead opted to re-sign the former sixth-rounder for a fourth season in purple.
But what if another returning Viking snatches that job, or emerges as a candidate for snaps in the slot? That would be third-year defender Jay Ward.
Primarily used on special teams, Ward is a safety on paper but played all over the field in his college career at LSU. He has played in 33 contests over the past two campaigns, logging 63 snaps on defense and 616 on special teams as one of the team’s top contributors in the forgotten third phase. Most of his few defensive plays came in the slot, and a handful each year at free safety, the spot Bynum opened by departing.
At safety, the Vikings still have Harrison Smith and Josh Metellus. They are likely to play close to, if not all, defensive snaps. Flores enjoys playing three or even four safeties, meaning Jackson or Ward would be next in the rotation, with the former entering the offseason as the favorite, considering his contract extension for low-end starter money.
Still, there’s a chance Flores likes Ward in a specific role better, whether that may be at safety or in the slot.
At LSU, the defensive back was a hybrid player who moved between (outside and slot) cornerback and safety. A versatile player like that always has a chance to carve out a role. Throughout his college career, he started in 46 games and registered 164 tackles and six interceptions.
In each of the last two preseasons, Ward eclipsed 100 defensive snaps, and he logged a respectable 75.1 PFF grade in one year and a 77.2 in the other. He forced one fumble and caught one pick, in addition to playing solid football overall. In those opportunities, he lined up in the box like Smith or Metellus would, played outside cornerback, in the slot, and at free safety.
Ahead of the draft, draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote about the defender, “Versatile defensive back with a fearless playing mentality. Ward has good size and length for a nickel cornerback, but he lacks a little thickness as a safety who likes to hit. He can be counted on to do his job in run support from the slot and has adequate coverage talent from off-man and zone. He will make plays when he’s in position to do so but doesn’t have the route anticipation needed for strong on-ball production just yet. Ward takes good angles to the football in coverage and run support as a safety. His versatility improves his chances of becoming an NFL starter in the future.”
He predicted Ward to go in the fourth round, and that’s exactly when the Vikings snatched him with the 134th pick. Safeties can be found more frequently on day three compared to other positions. Considering Metellus, Bynum, and Jackson were all picked between rounds four and seven, it would hardly be shocking to see Ward be the next guy to crack the rotation.
It’s also noteworthy that Metellus took until his third season to be relevant on defense and until the fourth season to play a big role. Ward is about to enter year three.
The defender will turn 25 next month, so there might still be some room to grow. There’s a chance he might not even be on the team by September, but the lack of competition at safety makes that unlikely.
Conversely, he has the opportunity to play a big role in Brian Flores’ unit by just beating out a couple of competitors, and considering his versatility, there are multiple spots and roles he could step into.
Ward is a player to watch throughout the summer.
