Even at the age of 33, Minnesota Vikings legendary defensive back Harrison Smith is still one of the best safeties in the NFL.
In a list compiled from league executives, scouts, coaches and players. via ESPN.com, the six-time Pro Bowler found a spot in the top-10 players at his position heading into the 2022 season.
Granted, he did drop a couple of spots from last year, when he landed at No. 5 on the list. But it’s still remarkable that he’s managed to survive the test of Father Time as the No, 7-ranked player in the updated rankings.
“[Smith is a player] you absolutely must account for on every snap, and the list of safeties that do that is pretty short,” one offensive line coach said, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. “Guys like him are still hard to find.”
Age catches up with everyone at some point, but there has yet to be any major drop-off in Smith’s abilities. It does help that he’s a cerebral player that leans heavily on smarts and instincts instead of relying solely on God-given athletic talent.
He finished the 2021 season with a combined 114 tackles, three sacks, seven pass break-ups and one interception.
The hope is that he can sustain that level of production or perhaps even improve on it if the Vikings’ defensive backfield as a whole takes a step forward in 2022.
Not only would it help push the struggling defense over the hump, but it could lead to another All-Pro season, which would ultimately sweeten the Hall of Fame debate beginning to arise in Smith’s favor.
