The former Michigan football starter at safety managed to make a big play for the Vikings against the Chicago Bears.
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Michigan football fans were split on former Wolverines safety Josh Metellus. Though he had a solid career in Ann Arbor, many maize and blue faithful held a grudge after he dropped a sure interception his sophomore year against Ohio State.
While he was steady at the hand and a bona fide playmaker — especially in his final two years as a Wolverine — Metellus never quite became the fan favorite he maybe should have. Many were even surprised (not in a pleasant way) that he was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings. Cut before the season, he didn’t even make the initial 53-man roster.
But boy, has he risen up — just like he did as a former three-star-turned-starter at Michigan.
Metellus eventually signed with the Vikings and has been playing on special teams. And though he’s netted a tackle here or there every other week, on Monday night, against the Chicago Bears, he finally had a play, with the spotlight on this one game, where everyone in the NFL could learn his name.
Down 13-7 and punting early in the third quarter, the Vikings had to get the ball back and fast. Bears returner Dwayne Harris muffs the punt, and Metellus is right there for the recovery.
The Vikings soon kicked a field goal to cut the deficit to but three points.
The former Wolverines safety was promoted from the practice squad on Friday.
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Make that 34 former Michigan football players in the NFL.
It was heartbreaking the final week before the regular season to see all of the NFL training camp hopefuls get cut after making it that far. Among them was former Wolverines safety Josh Metellus, who was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth-round.
Metellus has always had something of an uphill battle. At the time of his commitment to Michigan, he was just a two-star out of Flanagan High School outside of Miami. But he was a three-star once he got to Ann Arbor, and he outlived even those expectations, becoming a three-year starter for the maize and blue.
Now he’s getting yet another opportunity at the professional level. Though his cut led him to the franchise’s practice squad, it turns out that only lasted a week, as the Vikings are signing Metellus to the active 53-man roster, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Vikings are signing former Michigan safety Josh Metellus to their active roster today from their practice squad, per @RosenhausSports.
In his four years in Ann Arbor, Metellus played in 43 games and accumulated 186 tackles with 9 for loss, one sack and five interceptions, including one for a touchdown.
The Vikings could very well need reserves to step up in order to find success in 2020. Here are five players who could rise to the occasion.
Minnesota will have to rely on young talent in starting positions in order to find success next season, but what about the players who don’t start but still fulfill vital roles?
The nickel corner is not technically a starting position, despite the Vikings using the nickel package quite often. There’s also a question of depth at key positions such as wide receiver, safety, defensive line and offensive line.
There are some reserves who might never start but still play a lot of snaps. There are also some who may not get a high number of reps — until they’re called upon to start in place of an injured player. Here are five Vikings who could have one of those two aforementioned roles.
Safety is one of the Vikings’ best units. But that doesn’t mean there’s a shortage of storylines when it comes to that position group.
Amid all the turnover on the Vikings’ defense, a position group that has stayed consistent is one of Minnesota’s best: safety.
The team has Anthony Harris and Harrison Smith back deep on defense.
Harris is coming off a season where he had six interceptions, tied for an NFL best. Smith had three in 2019.
Pro Football Focus gave Harris a grade of 91.1 out of 100 for his performance last season. Harris was the highest-graded safety in the NFL. Close behind was Smith, who earned an 88.4. He ranked fourth among safeties in the NFL this past season.
All that is to say that the Vikings have solidified the safety position — for now. Here are three storylines surrounding the group:
Another addition to the secondary. Minnesota has selected Michigan safety Josh Metellus.
The Vikings have added plenty of talent in the secondary through the first six rounds of the draft. The team focused heavily on the cornerback position, but they found a good depth piece in the sixth round at safety.
With the 205th overall pick, the Vikings selected Josh Metellus out of Michigan. Over the three years Metellus started at safety, he totaled 173 tackles, five interceptions and 13 pass breakups.
Although he’s not the best safety in coverage, Metellus brings a physical style of play with him to Minnesota. He is willing to come downhill and lay the big hits, so he will fit in nicely as a depth piece behind Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris.
Other than his height, Metellus is above average in every other percentile measured by MockDrafttable.com. It seems as if he has some measurables that add up nicely at the safety position.
The Vikings currently only have Smith and Harris on their roster at the safety position, so it was vital to pick one at some point of the draft. Although Metellus will be a work in progress type of player, he will be able to come in and learn behind two of the league’s best while contributing on special teams.
The three-year starting safety gets his chance in Minneapolis.
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The fifth and sixth rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft have seen a big run on Wolverines.
Michigan just had its ninth player drafted: the Minnesota Vikings selected safety Josh Metellus with the No. 205 pick in the sixth round.
His selection reunites him with a former teammate, linebacker Ben Gedeon.
Formerly a three-star out of Miami (FL) Flanagan, Metellus outplayed his ranking to a large degree, but the safety drew the ire of Michigan football fans with two plays: a dropped interception against Ohio State in 2017 and being burnt in coverage against Penn State in 2019. Still, he’s a player with a lot of upside and could challenge for a role with the Vikings.
He joins former high school and college teammate Devin Bush Jr. in the NFL. Bush Jr. was a first-round selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers a year ago.
Plays downhill in run support. Technical tackler with high finishing rate. Fits gap with quick gather-and-strike talent. May offer positional versatility on the next level. Possesses balance and hips for short-area coverage duties. Foot twitch for transitions from coverage to close-out. Aggressive clawing at catch-point. Strike to jar football loose from receivers. Early recognition and response to play-action. Gets head around to find football downfield.
Strengths
Plays downhill in run support
Technical tackler with high finishing rate
Fits gap with quick gather-and-strike talent
May offer positional versatility on the next level
Possesses balance and hips for short-area coverage duties
Foot twitch for transitions from coverage to close-out
Aggressive clawing at catch-point
Strike to jar football loose from receivers
Early recognition and response to play-action
Gets head around to find football downfield
Weaknesses
Much more consistent coverage in 2018
Had issues digesting route combinations this year
Sluggish acceleration and lack of length limits recovery ability
Range takes a deep hit beyond short-area throws
Can be mismatched against speed downfield
Would like him to feel it rather than have to see it
Smallish to negotiate blockers near the box
Metellus is a player who doesn’t get a lot of credit for being a technically proficient player who showed off strong ability over the course of his career. However, his hard work paid off as he finally gets his chance in the NFL.
Dane Brugler released his fifth mock draft, a full seven-rounds, and saw 8 Wolverines selected, including two in the first-round.
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This is the first time we’ve seen this in 2020 mock drafts, but the theme is consistent with recent years when Michigan has put several players into the NFL.
In 2016, when Michigan led all of college football with 11 NFL draft picks, Taco Charlton and Jabrill Peppers were both selected in the first-round. In 2019, the Wolverines put Devin Bush Jr. and Rashan Gary into the league with the No. 10 and No. 12 picks, respectively.
While many have prognosticated that early entrant, center Cesar Ruiz, would sneak into the tail end first-round, Brugler sees things similarly, but also says another Michigan teammate will join him, albeit several picks earlier.
It’s part of a seven-round mock that sees eight Wolverines selected, with a few changes compared to some of the usual suspects we’ve seen picked in other multiple-round mocks.
No. 27 (1) – Josh Uche – Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks are always a wild card on draft day so I wouldn’t be surprised to see a stunner here like Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor. But I’m going with Uche, who gives Seattle an explosive edge threat and a player just scratching the surface of his ability.
No. 31 (1) – Cesar Ruiz – San Francisco 49ers
With the 49ers not picking again until the fifth round, good bet they look to trade back (maybe for a team looking to trade up for Jordan Love?). But if they stay put, upgrading the interior offensive line is on the priority list and Ruiz has big upside as a center-guard.
No. 161 (5) – Josh Metellus – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
No. 188 (6) – Jon Runyan Jr. – Buffalo Bills (from Cleveland)
No. 205 (6) – Michael Onwenu – Minnesota Vikings
No. 245 (7) – Sean McKeon – San Francisco 49ers
This is the first mock draft from a major publication that includes Michael Onwenu and Sean McKeon and we’ve found very few that have had Josh Metellus — though none this high. But it’s rare that we haven’t seen VIPER Khaleke Hudson, who had a solid showing in the NFL Scouting Combine, be selected in a seven-round mock, and we’d anticipate that CB Lavert Hill and DE Mike Danna could also be picks.
Overview: Patterson played in only 10 games over two seasons at Ole Miss as he dealt with injuries and then he transferred to Michigan to re-spark his career. Rated as the third-best prospect in the 2016 class, Patterson posted good numbers in Ann Arbor but he hardly showed elite passing ability and there’s a decent possibility that he will go undrafted. He finished his college career with 8,800 passing yards with 68 touchdowns and 27 interceptions, only 52 fewer yards than Joe Burrow in two fewer games. An early Arizona pledge who then ended up at Ole Miss, only Rashan Gary and Dexter Lawrence were ranked higher than Patterson in the 2016 class.
Farrell’s take: Patterson had everything you wanted in a quarterback coming out of high school. He was mobile, his arm strength was solid and he had that moxie and confidence you want. It never really showed consistently on the field at either Ole Miss or Michigan, and that’s surprising. Size was the main question about him in high school, but now there are many more questions surrounding him.
The 2020 NFL Draft is slated to begin virtually on April 23.
Check out Draft Wire’s exclusive interview with Michigan defensive back prospect Josh Metellus
Versatility is key in today’s NFL, especially in the defensive backfield. If your favorite team is looking for a prospect with the skill set and experience to play any spot in the secondary, Michigan’s Josh Metellus is the man for the job.
A do-it-all defender who put up big numbers last season, Metellus recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about his impressive senior campaign, his experience at the NFL Scouting Combine, and why a team should take a chance on him in this year’s draft.
JM: You had a great senior season. You posted 74 tackles, 5 pass break-ups and 2 interceptions. What is it about your game that lead to that production?
Josh M: I feel like my versatility lead to that production. I moved around a lot this year and played in so many different spots. I played all over the defensive backfield. Whatever my coaches asked me to do, I was able to do it at a high level. They asked me to play multiple spots and the production remained consistent. My play remained consistent. I feel like that really lead to my production as a senior.
JM: You had a strong performance at the NFL Scouting Combine. You ran the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds, you had a 36.5-inch vertical and ran a 6.94 in the 3-cone. What was your experience like out there?
Josh M: It was a dream come true just to be there. Growing up, I always thought about going to the combine. I was in Indianapolis living out one of my dreams. I just soaked it all up. I enjoyed every second of the experience.
JM: Did you have a lot of formal or informal interviews there?
Josh M: I had a lot of informals. They kept me pretty busy out there. I thought all of my interviews went well.
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
JM: Your private visit and workout schedule was obviously impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. Were you able to get any of those meetings in before the shut down?
Josh M: Unfortunately not. Everything I had scheduled was set to take place around the beginning of April. Obviously, the situation has progressed, and we’re not able to get any of those meetings in.
JM: Which teams were you scheduled to meet with?
Josh M: I had a few workouts scheduled with the Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals. Both of them were planning on coming down here to Ann Arbor to work me out.
JM: What was the strangest question you were asked at the combine?
Josh M: I wouldn’t say that I had anything too weird. I had a lot of questions that didn’t relate to football at all. I’m talking about questions that were more personal in nature. That could be classified as a little strange, maybe, but I wouldn’t say that there was anything that really caught me off guard.
JM: Do you have an example?
Josh M: I had some questions about my family. One coach asked me all these questions about my little brothers and sisters. How old are they? What do they do for work? What are they in school for? It felt like he wanted to know everything. Another coach asked me if I was a mama’s boy, and I said yes (laughs). He asked me for my cell phone and he called my mom right there on the spot. He spoke to my mom while I was sitting there. It was more lighthearted, though.
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
JM: That’s pretty funny. What was it like playing for Jim Harbaugh?
Josh M: He’s a great coach. He loves football and he’s looking for players that love football. He’s so passionate about the game. We really fed off of that. His energy and passion is contagious. His attitude towards the game, we had no choice but to love the game as well. We were on the same page.
JM: You had so many great teammates throughout your time at Michigan, but if you were going into battle tomorrow and could only bring one with you, who would it be and why?
Josh M: I would bring my cornerback, Lavert Hill, with me. We’ve played a lot of football together. We played on the same side for the majority of our time at Michigan. I just feel like we connected in a different way.
JM: Playing at Michigan also afforded you the opportunity to play against some of the best competition college football has to offer. Who are some of the best players you’ve played against?
Josh M: Jonathan Taylor from Wisconsin is a great running back. We played against him this past season. Jerry Jeudy is a special wide receiver. K.J. Hamler is a great player. I enjoyed playing against him. Those are the guys that really stood out to me this past season.
JM: Why should an NFL team use one of their draft picks on Josh Metellus?
Josh M: I feel like they’re getting the full package in me. They’re getting a versatile play-maker first and foremost. They’re getting somebody that they don’t have to worry about off the field. I’m a high-character guy. They know I’m gonna come into the building and give it 110%. I put my best foot forward in everything that I do. I feel like that really separates me from a lot of these other guys in this draft class.
Lions had workout set with Michigan DB Josh Metellus but all workouts have been canceled
Normally at this time of year the pre-draft private visits and workouts would be a major storyline in the NFL. Over 20 prospects would be in and out of Allen Park, meeting with the Lions staff on a more personal and in-depth job interview in advance of April’s draft.
Alas, all visits and workouts have been canceled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The NFL ceased all such activities over a week ago.
One of the players who was scheduled to visit with the Lions was Michigan defensive back Josh Metellus. The Wolverines safety was fixing to build off an impressive combine workout and boost his draft stock, but he won’t get the chance to impress coach Matt Patricia or the Lions in person after all.
Metellus is generally projected as a Day 3 prospect after an inconsistent final two seasons at Michigan. He did get to meet and show out for the Lions coaches while playing on the North squad in January’s Senior Bowl, which Patricia and his staff coached.
#Michigan DB Josh Metellus was set to work out privately for the #Bengals and #Lions, per source. The COVID-19 outbreak has lead to those workouts being canceled.
The Houston Texans met informally with Michigan Wolverines defensive back Josh Metellus at the NFL Scouting Combine.
INDIANAPOLIS — The Houston Texans continue their due diligence as they determine whether to get younger at cornerback, replenish the talent in free agency, or bring back a combination of Bradley Roby and Johnathan Joseph.
The AFC South champions met informally with Michigan defensive back Josh Metellus at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Informal visits are not limited whatsoever; technically, a team could meet with all 337 attendees for up to 15 minutes apiece. However, there are limitations to formal visits, capped at 45 and 18 minutes in length.
While the Texans did not have a formal meeting with Metellus, an informal meeting indicates they are skimming the defensive back talent in the draft to see if they need to address cornerback in free agency or wait until April.
#Michigan DB Josh Metellus says he met informally with the #Texans.
Even though Metellus was a safety for the Wolverines in 2019, and a vocal leader, he is willing to play whatever position his new team needs.
“I’m telling teams I’m versatile,” Metellus told reporters Friday. “A lot of them see I played a lot of different positions. I show up on the field at a bunch of spots.”
In Mobile, Ala., at the Senior Bowl, Metellus had reps in practice at corner, including one-on-one reps.
Said Metellus: “So, I’ve been selling myself as just a defensive back, period. Safety, nickel, doesn’t matter, I can play anywhere. I’ve got the mind and the football IQ to be able to be moved around and still compete.”
The Texans had a versatile defensive back in Kareem Jackson, who played cornerback for Houston from 2010-17. In 2018, his final year with the team, Jackson played more safety with the club, but had to switch back and forth between the new role and cornerback because of injuries.
Nonetheless, having a defensive back with versatility such as Metellus’ would help the Texans in 2020 and beyond.
