An Under-the-Radar Vikings Player Could Get More Playing Time in 2025
Every good NFL team has stars on its roster, but those rosters are also chock-full of depth players who know how to fill their roles.
The Minnesota Vikings are no stranger to under-the-radar players coming in and filling vital roles. From John Parker Romo taking over kicking duties for a month last season, to Jalen Redmond recording big plays on the defensive line down the stretch of the year, the Vikings constantly have found ways to make players successful.
This year, another Vikings player could be heading towards an increased role during the regular season.
An Under-the-Radar Vikings Player in Line for More Playing Time
Safety Jay Ward was selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Vikings, and so far, his presence has largely been felt on special teams.
For instance, Ward played 302 special teams snaps during his rookie season and then followed that campaign up with 314 snaps with the unit in 2024. Comparatively, he has played a grand total of 63 defensive snaps over his first two seasons.
While the limited playing time in Brian Flores’ defense could cause some doubt for Vikings fans, consider this is precisely the model that the Vikings have followed over the past couple of years.
Josh Metellus started his career primarily as a special teamer. He played 262+ snaps with the unit from 2020-2022 before becoming a full-time defender in 2023, and that obviously has worked beautifully in his rover role.
Theo Jackson has also seen a growing role on defense after starting his career primarily as a special teamer, likely joining Metellus and Harrison Smith as starters on the Vikings’ defense in 2025 after Camryn Bynum departed in free agency.
The 2022 sixth-round pick has played at least 260 snaps on special teams in each of his first three seasons, and after playing just 18 defensive snaps during his rookie season, that number ballooned to 126 and 78 in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
Ward could be the latest on this path due to his versatility, athletic ability, and ball skills evidenced throughout his collegiate career.
The cornerback/safety hybrid mixed his playing time at the two positions throughout his time at LSU, and he intercepted six passes over his final three seasons with the Tigers.
He’s shown some great gains over the course of his Vikings career at safety as well, recording six tackles during this weekend’s preseason game against the New England Patriots and showing strong prowess in the secondary against receivers, including a pass breakup on a third down on New England’s opening drive.
We also need to take into account that Harrison Smith is entering his age-36 season in 2025, and the Vikings will look for any excuse they can to get the veteran extra rest time so he is ready to roll for crucial games in December, January, and hopefully, February.
It also very well could be Hit Man’s final NFL season, leaving the Vikings in a place where they will need to find his replacement.
If Ward can live up to the billing and bring his training camp/preseason production to the regular season, he could be in line to not only garner more defensive snaps in 2025 but also take over a starting job in 2026.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Focus and Pro Football Reference.
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