Vikings ‘Breakout’ Candidate Gaining More and More Steam
Dec 4, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings safety Camryn Bynum (24) reacts with safety Josh Metellus (44) after an interception late during the fourth quarter off New York Jets quarterback Mike White (not pictured) at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.
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The Minnesota Vikings 2023 offseason hasn’t even gotten to training camp yet, but josh metelus is gaining momentum as a significant contributor.
Enthusiasm is being seen from all sides about this 25-year-old player.
Vikings’ breakout candidate is gaining more and more excitement
comes from the latest version athletic When it defined ‘breakout’ players from every nfl team, Metellus was the right fit for Minnesota, and that opinion is consistent with what general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and others have mentioned about Metellus throughout the offseason.
 warms up before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports.</p>
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November 14, 2021; Inglewood, California, USA; Minnesota Vikings safety Josh Metellus (44) practices before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory credit: Janine Kamin-Oncia-USA TODAY Sports.of athletic Alec Lewis last week flagged Metellus as the Vikings’ emerging breakout personality and explained, “The Vikings have a potential Hall of Fame safety in Harrison Smith. They also selected safety Lewis Caine in the first round of the 2022 draft. So, where does Metellus fit in? Well, if this spring was any indication, the short answer is everywhere,
Metellus played in all 17 games in 2022, his third season as a professional, and was featured on 258 defensive snaps.
 during the NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports</p>
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October 2, 2022; London, United Kingdom; Minnesota Vikings safety Josh Metellus (44) during an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory credit: Pieter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports“Think broadly about past New England Patriots defenses and how Bill Belichick — and disciple Brian Flores — used defensive backs. Patrick Chung played the half-linebacker position. He attacked when needed. He took the front in the middle of the field. He played a key role in the team’s dime package. Looks like Metellus Flores is destined for that role in the Vikings’ defense,” Lewis continued.
Metellus did a great job last year with a grade of 85.1 pro football focus and halting Minnesota’s special teams operations. And if everything goes according to plan for the 25-year-old, Metellus could surpass his 258 defensive snaps played in 2022.
 prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Billy Hardiman-USA TODAY Sports.</p>
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September 19, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Minnesota Vikings safety Josh Metellus (44) prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory credit: Billy Hardiman-USA TODAY Sports.Lewis concluded about Metellus’ impending breakout, “He’s got his size at 5-foot-11 and 207 pounds. He also has sharpness, having been awarded team captain honors at the end of last season. Hopefully Metellus will play often and find a key place in the new-form defence.
And this enthusiasm over Metellus isn’t new. In June, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was asked Seasons with Peter Schrager podcast by NFL Network’s Peter Schrager said of the Vikings’ unsung hero, and he quickly dropped Metellus’ name, “He’s a safety, and he’ll play some more this year, so I think you’ll see stuff from what we’ve seen. He was a special-team veteran last year, a team-captain type. Later in the season I was in the team meeting room.” [Brian O’Neill] got hurt [Metellus] was made the captain of the team.
 speaks to the media during the 2020 NFL Combine in the Indianapolis Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports.</p>
<p>” data-medium-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/metellstand-788×444.jpg” data-large-file=”https://vikingsterritory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/metellstand-1180×667.jpg” decoding=”async” loading=”lazy” width=”788″ height=”444″ alt=”” class=”wp-image-112612″ srcset=”https://vikingsterritory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/metellstand-788×445.jpg 788w, https://vikingsterritory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/metellstand-1180×667.jpg 1180w, https://vikingsterritory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/metellstand-428×242.jpg 428w, https://vikingsterritory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/metellstand-1536×868.jpg 1536w, https://vikingsterritory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/metellstand-2048×1157.jpg 2048w” sizes=”(max-width: 788px) 100vw, 788px”/><figcaption class=)
February 28, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Michigan defensive back Josh Metellus (DB53) talks to the media during the 2020 NFL Combine at the Indianapolis Convention Center. Mandatory credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports.“You can feel it when someone’s teammates really love them, really appreciate them, and really want to back them in the fight, and he’s one of those guys. He is all about the Minnesota Vikings, and I think people will really appreciate that more this season,” Adofo-Mensah continued.
Nearly a month ago, ESPN identified an ‘extraordinary’ player from each team this off-season, and – you guessed it – that guy was metellus for Minnesota.
Now, Metellus really needs to get into training camp and preseason to back up everything he’s talking about in his fourth season. He will compete with Camryn Bynum and Lewis Caine for the starter’s job over the next six weeks. Still, according to the team’s front office and multiple media outlets, Metellus could be ready for a better defensive role no matter what.
dustin baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube channel, vikesnow, He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinney, which airs every Wednesday raun sah And Sal Masala, His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. List of guilty pleasures: Peanut butter ice cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Bassett Hounds, and The Doors (band).
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