Over the past few seasons, there may not be a more popular positional group among the Minnesota Vikings than their safety room.

Harrison Smith is bound for the team’s Ring of Honor whenever he retires. Josh Metellus hosts “Tell Us With Metellus”, one of the team’s most popular social media segments. Cam Bynum, who signed with the Indianapolis Colts this offseason, was the mastermind behind some of the Vikings’ best celebrations the past few years.

However, the safety room’s uncertainty in 2026 could lead the Vikings to make a splash early in next year’s draft, according to PFF. They believe Minnesota could take advantage of a deep safety class to shore up the room.

Franchise legend Harrison Smith is back for another season, but the 36-year-old may not be far from retirement. Josh Metellus will start next to him, but he is entering the final year of his contract before void years. Metellus also earned just a 52.2 PFF coverage grade last season. One or both might need to be replaced for 2026.

The Vikings have 2023 draft pick Jay Ward, who showed promise with an 89th-ranked 63.0 PFF overall grade in 2024, but they could look to make a major splash through a very good 2026 safety class.

PFF then lists Ohio State’s Caleb Downs (1st-ranked prospect overall) and Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman (19th overall) as potential targets.

There’s a lot to unpack here. Smith probably is playing his last season in 2025 and will need to be replaced in some capacity. Metellus is entering the final year of his contract, but he didn’t sound disgruntled when asked about it earlier this month during minicamp.

The Vikings also seem to have a high opinion of Theo Jackson, who has been with the team since 2022. This offseason, he signed a three-year, $9.315 million contract, which is reminiscent of the contract Metellus signed in 2023 prior to taking on an expanded role on the defense.

Ward could be in line to take a step as well. Could he be following Metellus and Jackson’s footsteps as safeties who slowly work their way into bigger roles?

There’s a lot that remains to be seen in the safety room. Perhaps Smith and Metellus leave, and Jackson proves he can’t be relied on in 2025. Then the Vikings could be forced to make a move early in the 2026 draft for a safety. But for right now, we’ll wait and see if Brian Flores can work his magic with the players he has in-house.