Vikings Message Board.Com

GBFavreFan wrote:In vague terms I think within a year or two he will be considered one of THE top safeties in the NFL and mentioned as a new generations Ed Reed/Polamalu types in terms of impact on the team. When I compare and rank him with other FS's throughout the NFL I would safely place him Top 10 in the league right now, and must be a strong candidate for defensive rookie of the year. I think next season he will rise to be a Top 5, and in a couple few years will be considered one of the top 2-3 safeties in the entire NFL. I really think this kid is special and there's no slow progression, he's quickly rising.

Now if only we could get his Notre Dame teammate Te'o, how awesome would that be?

When is Te'o projected?

PurpleMustReign wrote:
When is Te'o projected?

Top 10, but LB is not typically a position taken so high, so who knows? He's too darn good to last that long though, and we keep winning and lowering our draft position!

I think it's safe to say harrison smith is in the top 10 right now. I've seen him make some mistakes so I wouldn't say top 5 just yet but that's all going to fade with more experience which is all he really needs to go with his phenomenal physical skills.

mondry wrote:I think it's safe to say harrison smith is in the top 10 right now. I've seen him make some mistakes so I wouldn't say top 5 just yet but that's all going to fade with more experience which is all he really needs to go with his phenomenal physical skills.

I remember when we moved back up in the first rd. lots of people were hoping it would be for a WR and were a bit disappointed with the pick of Harrison Smith.

I didn't know enough about him to have much of an opinion, but I think that he's made a huge impact on our defense, just as Kalil has for our O, so we really did a nice job with our early picks last year.

We could still use one more solid player in our secondary to seriously upgrade that area. It might be just as important as getting a LB or perhaps more. Brinkley's been looking decent at LB anyways.

My favorite thing about Smith is his energy and swagger. It seems to be contagious.

PurpleMustReign wrote:
When is Te'o projected?

He's projected to go high in the first round. Kiper thinks he could even go #1 but that would be very unusual for a linebacker. He'll likely be a top 10 player, maybe even top 5.

As for Smith, I don't know where I'd rank him or where he'll end up but I love the energy and savvy he's bringing to the team right now.

He's pretty damn good. He reminds me of Joey Browner. A tough as nails hard hitting ball hawking safety.

I would say he has the possiblity of being an all pro bowl safety.. which we have needed for a long time.

Sharper was our last good safety, I think Harrison could be better than sharper someday..

I love how damn aggressive he is. Every play he shows great hussle and can put on some great hits. Not to mention that when be intercepts the ball, he can run like a madman! Im very glad we drafted him because our secondary really struggled last year, and he really helped our secondary improve. The only problem I have with him is that sometimes he doesn't wrap up when he tackles and he misses the tackle. Im sure thats just a rookie mistake and that he will learn from it. Other than that, I think the kid is a great player.

Hes better then I thought and im a big ND fan. Im not a huge Spielman fan, and i even thought this pick was a reach, but boy was I wrong. He just what we need back there. Ive noticed even Sanford is hitting harder since Smith got here. Sanfoord still cant cover or make an INT but I do like it when safeties hit hard.

PurpleKoolaid wrote:Hes better then I thought and im a big ND fan. Im not a huge Spielman fan, and i even thought this pick was a reach, but boy was I wrong. He just what we need back there. Ive noticed even Sanford is hitting harder since Smith got here. Sanfoord still cant cover or make an INT but I do like it when safeties hit hard.

You're spot on. Sandford in previous seasons would usually look like a deer in headlights. It's amazing that one person can take a secondary that was once the laughing stock of the NFL, and turn them into a competitive bunch. Plus they're all young, so they can only get better. I know it's not all on him, but with Smith flying around making plays it's got to make it a lot easier for the rest of the secondary to stick to thier assignments. Yeah, the other side of the coin is that when he gets it wrong, it can turn into a big gain, but i'd rather see the secondary like this a fast, young, competitive, exciting group instead of the usual sit off the receivers, give them plenty of time and average 300+ yards passing a game.
As a group, they just need Cook to settle down,stay fit and keep on improving. Looking at next season, for the draft for me they only really need to put a bit more depth in that D-line make it competitive for the players. Also another Linebacker just to shake them up (although for me Jesper doesn't get enough recognition lining up next to Greenway)

UKno1VIKING wrote:You're spot on. Sandford in previous seasons would usually look like a deer in headlights. It's amazing that one person can take a secondary that was once the laughing stock of the NFL, and turn them into a competitive bunch.

Smith may have helped a little, but credit where credit is due: Sanford committed himself this offseason.

"I came back in better condition I believe," he said. "I normally live in the weight room. This offseason I worked on my cardio a lot and I slimmed up, lost my body fat. Just really focused on my body and being in condition ready to go all day. ... (The coaches) told me to be ready to improve on covering tight ends. I felt like in training camp I did that.

"I showed improvement and felt like I was bending better and just having a better feel for the game. I went back and looked at my DVD. (Defensive backs coach) Joe Woods always sends us (a DVD) in the offseason so we can study ourselves. It just seemed there were a lot of plays where I was tired or playing high and I just came back this year and just focused on (improving) my weaknesses."

http://www.1500espn.com/sportswire/Zulg ... nity092512

He'll probably never make the pro bowl and he's still a liability in coverage, but if he can make up for it with solid run support and some "splash" plays, he can be serviceable (possibly rotating with Raymond in nickel or dime packages on obvious passing downs).

Purple Jesus wrote:Maybe the second coming of Paul Krause?

He's got the number for it...