Within all of the chatter surrounding the legendary Harrison Smith, a Vikings roster battle is taking place. Minnesota needs to determine who is going to play opposite Josh Metellus at safety.

Lately, the position has been undergoing some turnover. Camryn Bynum departed following the 2024 season due to the promise of meaty money to function as a Colt. More recently, the Smith mystery has forced the Vikings to continue pivoting, turning toward some in-house replacement options ahead of what’s looking like a crucial 2026 season. A cluster of several promising players are all jockeying for a single spot.

A Vikings Roster Battle at Safety

Based on Vikings mandatory minicamp, Theo Jackson is the leader in the clubhouse to be the team’s other starting safety.

The veteran came to town back in 2022, standing out as one of the success stories from that cluster of talent. Jackson went to Tennessee in the 6th of the 2022 NFL Draft. Getting placed on the practice squad meant being vulnerable to getting poached. Minnesota did precisely that, stealing him away from the Titans since the leg injury to Lewis Cine meant needing more help at safety. He has since been extended on a medium-money deal.

Presumably, the hope was to have snagged a solid depth option. After all, Jackson was a Day 3 choice who was hanging around on a rival team’s practice squad. Minnesota my not have known how much promise he was going to show.

Just based on Vikings minicamp, Theo Jackson appears to be the S2. He boasts a promising build for the job since he’s listed as being 6’1″ and 205 pounds. Watching him patrol the deep area of the field means seeing somebody who looks very long and who moves well. Those are promising attributes for an air-traffic controller who is looking to shutdown the skies. Jackson is the player most likely to start if a game got played tonight.

The issue? Simply that Theo Jackson got overshadowed by Jay Ward at the end of last season.

Ward came out of LSU in 2023 as a versatile defender. He got work all over the secondary before settling in again as a safety. I asked Josh Metellus what he has seen in his teammate, leading to an optimistic response from the veteran that began with a simple declaration: “Confidence.”

Metellus went on: “You could see especially after getting those reps at the end of the season when I went down, you could see his confidence build. And that’s leading into this year.” The capacity to “be able to be more decisive” allows Ward to “use his athletic ability and his talent.”

So, don’t forget about Mr. Ward. He, too, is long and rangy. What’s promising about him, though, is that he’s a touch younger and offers great aggression, proving capable of blitzing effectively.

The wild card in the mix is Jakobe Thomas, a rookie who got snagged in the 3rd. Seeing him in the starting lineup for Week 1 should be considered a less likely option, but he cares about ball and offers a very sturdy build. Quite possibly, Thomas will become a rugged safety who demands starter snaps before too long.

As of mid-June, much remains to be determined for the Minnesota Vikings. Seemingly everyone is focused on the quarterback battle. Fair enough. A repeat of last year’s incompetence under center could lead to a regime change, at least among the coaching ranks, but the Vikings’ roster battles go beyond just who is tossing the pigskin.

Josh Metellus returns as a locked-in starter. Theo Jackson, Jay Ward, and Jakobe Thomas are all looking to demand that other starting position. If Harrison Smith returns, then things get even more fascinating.