Harrison Smith Snubbed from ESPN Rankings

Harrison Barden-USA TODAY Sports.

The Minnesota Vikings saw Harrison Smith contemplate retirement once again, but the Hitman decided to ride again. Apparently, someone forgot to tell the rest of the coaches, scouts, and executives around the league.

Harrison Smith Snubbed from ESPN Rankings

Recently, ESPN published a list of the top ten safeties in the NFL. Antoine Winfield Jr. and Kyle Hamilton were the top two, which obviously should sting for Vikings fans. Of course, Lewis Cine was nowhere to be found, but neither was future Hall of Famer Harrison Smith.

harrison smith
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It’s fair to suggest that Smith isn’t the same talent he was when his career started, but it’s almost as crazy to suggest he’s not still among the ten best players at the position across the league. A six-time Pro Bowl selection and one-time All-Pro, Smith was as healthy as ever last season.

His 93 tackles were the third-most of his career, and his six quarterback hits tied a career-high. He did go without an interception but forced a trio of fumbles, which he has only accomplished once during his career.

Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.

I suppose someone as battle-tested as Smith probably doesn’t need any bulletin board material, but it certainly can’t hurt to add some. His teammate, Josh Mettellus, was also snubbed. The breakout Vikings defender took notice, and although he is more of a hybrid player than a true safety, he certainly could have been among the considerations as well.

The emergence of both Metellus and Cam Bynum has made Smith’s transition into eventual retirement a bit smoother. However, had the Vikings made better moves in recent seasons, watching Cine flop so hard wouldn’t have been as difficult to bear.

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Jaylen Waddle, Harrison Smith, Jordan Hicks, and Camryn Bynum. © BILL INGRAM / THE PALM BEACH PSOT / USA TODAY NETWORK.

Brian Flores is hoping that his defense takes another step forward this season. Expecting the best version of Smith, now 35 years old, is unlikely. However, he can be a key mentor for the group around him and will continue to be among the most respected players in Kevin O’Connell’s locker room.


Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.