Vikings Draft: Meet Harrison Smith

Entering the draft and free agency, the Minnesota Vikings had a number of holes, but four of them were glaring priorities–offensive line, safety, wide receiver and corner back. After draft Matt Kalil fourth overall, they took care of the need at left teckle. Speilman quickly satisfied another need later in the same round. Giving up second round and fourth round picks, the Vikings jumped back into the first round acquiring the Ravens selection at 29. The reason for the move? To select Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith.

Minnesota Vikings coaches “fell in love” with Harrison Smith at the Senior Bowl. The Minnesota coaching staff were involved coaching Smith’s Senior Bowl team. After seeing what he could do at that game, the Vikings didn’t want to tip their hand to anybody. They didn’t interview Smith and didn’t invite him for a private workout in Minnesota. After the Senior Bowl ended, they had no contact with the safety. Yet the entire time they wanted to make him a Viking, which is exactly what they did late Thursday night.

Many draft projections had Harrison Smith as the second best safety in the draft after Alabama’s Mark Barron. After Barron and Smith, it was slim pickings for a few rounds. “At safety, the depth after [Smith] got really thin,” said GM Rick Speilman. “So we felt that was a guy we really wanted to get where we got him. That’s the point with what we did — you’ve got to look at the depth at each position…you’ve got to look at the depth and make your choice not only for that position but for what you think will be there at the other positions you need.  And that’s what it came down to for us.”

Vikings fans are hoping Smith can have an impact immediately and shore up a weak secondary. (Qualifying the secondary as “weak” might be generous.) He might be the guy to do it. Harrison Smith was a 5th-year senior and the only player in Irish history to register more than 200 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and 15 pass breakups in a career. Quite an impressive feat coming from that storied program. He played strong-side linebacker for Notre Dame as a Sophomore, before he was moved back to safety his junior year when his athleticism and quickness was found better utilized at the position. As a senior, Smith was second on the team in tackles (as a safety) and totaled seven interceptions in 13 games. If his play making abilities translate to the NFL, the Vikings move to get him in the second round is more than justified.

Harrison Smith will be joining a slew of Fighting Irish alum when he dons a Vikings jersey. In addition to Smith, the Vikings also boast John Carlson, John Sullivan, Kyle Rudolph and CB Robert Blanton, who they drafted in the 5th round on Saturday. Smith has attributed his ability to cover athletic, pass-catching tight ends to his time covering both Carlson and Rudolph in practice. His knowledge of the Cover 2, his ability to tackle in the open field, and his leadership strength on the field should make him an immediate Day One starter.

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