Next To Smith

According to Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith has had 10 different safeties start next to him. I decided to track those 10 safeties down. 

Next to Smith:

1.   Mistral Raymond (3 starts)

2.   Jamarca Sanford (18)

3.   Andrew Sendejo (46)

4.   Robert Blanton (15)

5.   Antone Exum (1)

6.   Jayron Kearse (2)

7.   Anthony Harris (43)

8.   George Iloka (2)

9.   Xavier Woods (15)

10. Camryn Bynum (1)

On two occasions, Mike Zimmer started two safeties next to Harrison Smith. Against the Philadelphia Eagles in 2019, Anthony Harris and Jayron Kearse joined Smith in the starting lineup. After a couple productive starts in place of Smith, Camryn Bynum joined Smith and Xavier Woods in the starting lineup in last season’s first Green Bay Packers game. 

For nearly all of the 2000s, I hoped that the Vikings could find a star safety. It was arguably the one weakness of the 2009 defense. They finally found that safety in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Harrison Smith. I was a huge fan of the pick. He was a star from the start and quickly became a fan favorite. Being greedy I guess, I’ve spent the past decade hoping that the Vikings could find an excellent safety to pair with Smith. Perhaps because of the player that they had, the Vikings didn’t see the need to spend high-end draft picks or significant free agency dollars to add that safety.

Mistral Raymond - 2011 6th round pick

Jamarca Sanford - 2009 7th round pick

Andrew Sendejo - undrafted/Sacramento Mountain Lions/cup of coffee with Cowboys and Jets

Robert Blanton - 2012 5th round pick

Antone Exum - 2014 6th round pick

Jayron Kearse - 2016 7th round pick

Anthony Harris - undrafted

George Iloka - free agent (originally a 2012 5th round pick by the Bengals)

Xavier Woods - free agent ( originally a 6th round pick of the Cowboys)

Camryn Bynum - 4th round pick

For what they spent to get them, the Vikings didn’t do too bad with the safeties they added and developed. Andrew Sendejo and Anthony Harris were solid, and at times very good, safety partners. With Smith on the field, good was usually good enough. Sendejo and Harris each had nearly four-year runs as starters. 

Some thoughts on each of the ten:

Mistral Raymond - I never really knew what to think of Raymond. 

Jamarca Sanford - Smith always spoke highly of Sanford. 

Andrew Sendejo - He was a good football player but every time the play came to him I feared a 15-yard penalty.

Robert Blanton - My only real thought on Blanton was that it was fun that he was Smith’s teammate from Notre Dame.

Antone Exum - Despite being picked in the 6th round, I had high hopes for Exum. He had the talent but he never emerged as the player I expected. 

Jayron Kearse - His height (6’4”) was intriguing. I hoped that he’d be the next George Iloka.

Anthony Harris - Of the players put next to Smith, he was the best. 

George Iloka - It would’ve been great if the Vikings were able to add Iloka about two years earlier than they did.

Xavier Woods - When Camryn Bynum was drafted, I knew that Woods’ stay in Minnesota was going to be  short. Woods was very good for that year. 

Camryn Bynum - He was terrific at Cal and I was thrilled with his selection in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He has a bright future in Minnesota. 

Andrew Krammer brought up the number of safeties that have played next to Smith because of first round pick Lewis Cine. As much as I like Bynum, I expect the rookie to be the 11th safety to start next to Smith. Cine is simply too talented. It’d be criminal to not have him on the field. With Smith at 33, Bynum and Cine are the Vikings safety future. For now, the trio are the best safeties that the Vikings have had in a long time. They are so good that the coaches are going to find ways to get all three on the field at the same time. I can’t wait to see it.