The folks over at Pro Football Focus are ranking their top 101 players over the last 10 years.
We’ve already covered Adrian Peterson coming in at 35.
There is only one other Viking on the list and he comes in at No. 22, just like his jersey number: Safety Harrison Smith.
Here’s what PFF wrote about Smith:
Coverage is one of the most inconsistent grading elements PFF looks at; it is, by definition, dependent on the opposition more than most areas, and consistently grading well on the back end is incredibly hard to do. Harrison Smith hasn’t had a healthy season result in a grade lower than 75.0 overall, and he has four seasons above 85.0 overall. Smith has been a do-it-all safety for the Minnesota Vikings and has been equally comfortable in deep center field as he is in the box or covering the slot, whether that be against backs, tight ends or even wideouts. At his best, Smith has been the best safety in the league, and the fulcrum that allows Mike Zimmer’s defensive scheme to function.
Since being drafted in 2012, Smith has been so crucial to Mike Zimmer’s defense and has not only been one of the best safeties in the league, but one of the best players in the entire league.
At 31, the five-time Pro Bowler still has plenty left to contribute and he’ll probably be asked to do even more in 2020 for a defense with more than a few new faces.