Vikings defender gets serious praise for unique trait that everyone in Minnesota knew he had
Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores loves having players who have one specific and fluid trait.
When Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores was building out his defense, one of the biggest elements he prioritized was versatility. Having the ability to play multiple positions is huge in maximizing the confusion element of their coverage structures.
One of the key cogs in that defense is safety Josh Metellus. They extended him shortly before Flores’ first season in 2023, and he more than outplayed it, earning him a second extension before the 2025 season.
The Athletic’s Ted Nguyen highlighted Flores as one of the most versatile players in the NFL.
For Brian Flores’ wacky scheme to work, versatility is key. Offenses can’t get the usual tells based on where defenders line up. Josh Metellus isn’t a household name but he lines up everywhere on the Vikings’ defense. On one play, he’ll line up as the deep safety. On the next, he could play press coverage on a tight end. On third down, he could be blitzing on the line of scrimmage. He’ll even rotate into the box and play linebacker. It’s hard to play all the positions he does in a regular defense, but in Flores’ defense, he has to learn how to do multiple things within each spot.
His ability to make open-field tackles is essential for a defense that blitzes as much as the Vikings. If you miss open-field tackles on blitzes when the quarterback finds a hot route, it’s a recipe for disaster. Though he doesn’t make a ton of splash plays, Metellus is a glue guy for the Vikings.
Ted Nguyen
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Josh Metellus is a versatile chess piece
One of the coolest elements of Metellus’ game is the ability to line up anywhere and end up somewhere completely different. He often will line up around the line of scrimmage and drop into a deep safety role, either single high or a deep half/quarter.
You can see him playing a multitude of roles across the board. He is a strong safety, free safety, linebacker, dime backer, and slot corner all rolled into one. He thrives best as a versatile chess piece over being slotted into one role, and that element was a big reason why Metellus wasn’t a Pro Bowl player in 2023.
No matter what Flores asks him to do, he does it and does it well. He’s arguably the single most important piece to the defense because he can play a multitude of roles across the board. He’s even been used as a crasher in stunts.
Metellus isn’t just a great player, he’s also a leader on the unit as a captain. Having him on the field has been a massive aspect for the VIkings’ success, and ht’s maximized everyone else around him.