Minnesota Vikings: Most pressing needs entering 2021 NFL Draft

3. Safety

The Minnesota Vikings may have to make some salary cuts in order to get comfortably under the cap for 2021, and there is a chance they could go into the 2021 offseason program without both of their starting safeties in 2020 — Anthony Harris (a free agent) and Harrison Smith (a possible cap casualty).

Harrison Smith, in particular, could be the likelier departure.

Smith has a cap charge of over $10 million in 2021 with no dead money. Harris played the 2020 season on the franchise tag and has proven himself to be an incredibly important piece of the Minnesota Vikings’ defense over the last three seasons.

With all of that said, the Vikings will at the very least be looking ahead to the 2022 season when for sure one (if not both) Harris and Smith will need to be replaced.

The 2021 NFL Draft class is fairly deep at the safety position and there are a number of players who can play a variety of positions on the back end of the secondary.

With Smith just turning 32 and Harris turning 30 in October, the decision for the Vikings is not going to be easy. They may pay the price to keep both on the roster for the 2021 season, but plans for 2022 and beyond must be made.