Inside The Vikings

Josh Metellus Says Harrison Smith Was Snubbed From ESPN's Top 10 Safeties

Smith may be 34, but it's wild to think he didn't even receive a single vote.
Will Ragatz|
Josh Metellus Says Harrison Smith Was Snubbed From ESPN's Top 10 Safeties
Josh Metellus Says Harrison Smith Was Snubbed From ESPN's Top 10 Safeties

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ESPN is currently rolling out its annual rankings of the top ten NFL players at each position, as voted on by league executives, coaches, scouts and players. On Wednesday, the safety ranking dropped, and Harrison Smith was nowhere to be found.

Not only did Smith not make the top ten, he also wasn't one of seven honorable mentions or five players listed as "also receiving votes." Even at age 34, Smith not being one of 22 safeties to receive a vote for this list is pretty shocking.

His teammate, fellow safety Josh Metellus, wasn't pleased.

Frankly, Metellus has a point. ESPN is clear that these rankings are not a five-year projection or a career achievement award — they're about the best players today. Even with that being the criteria, Smith still probably deserved to at least get a few votes.

Last season, at age 33, Smith was one of five safeties in the league with at least five interceptions. He was also tied for third at the position with ten passes defended. Smith, who made the Pro Bowl in six of seven years from 2015-21, hasn't fallen off just yet. His PFF grade was his lowest since the 2013 season, but it was still a respectable 68.4.

Smith is obviously on the back end of his career, but it wouldn't be shocking to see him be better in 2023 than he was in 2022. Why? Because he was arguably used poorly by former coordinator Ed Donatell, who more or less made him a full-time deep half safety. Under Brian Flores, Smith figures to be used in a wider variety of ways, including spending time in the box and blitzing off the edge.

ESPN has now released the league-voted top ten rankings for each defensive position group. Perhaps unsurprisingly, no Vikings have made it, and Danielle Hunter is the only player to receive a single vote. Things will be a bit different on the offensive side of the ball.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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