Vikings S Josh Metellus says he's 'easily' the most versatile defender in the NFL

After signing a three-year, $36 million contract extension with the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday, Josh Metellus made it known that he believes he is the most versatile defender in the NFL.

The sixth-year safety appeared on “NFL Spotlight with Ari Meirov” on Tuesday, and was asked about his versatility as a defender.

“When you play different spots, you don’t really get comfortable at a spot, but two years at multiple spots, I finally got comfortable at every single spot,” Metellus said. “Whatever spot I’m at this year, I think I’ll be able to excel a lot better than the past two years.”

Ever since the Vikings brought defensive coordinator Brian Flores into the building back in 2023, Metellus’ role has consistently grown. Flores’ first year in Minnesota saw Metellus jump from 258 defensive snaps (22.22 percent) in 2022, to 1,065 (94.16 percent) in 2023.

With his role expanding and becoming more familiar with the defense, Metellus was voted to be a captain by his teammates for both the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

The former sixth-round pick uses his size and athleticism to help Minnesota out in many different facets throughout each game. Listed as a safety, the 5-foot-11, 207-pound defender lines up all over the field, with the ability to cover wide receivers, running backs and tight ends while holding his own in the trenches against the run and in pass rushing situations.

Along with his success on the defensive side of the ball, Metellus still has a large impact on special teams, playing above 44 percent of the Vikings’ snaps in that facet ever since his rookie season in 2020.

Flores is one of the brightest and most creative defensive minds in the NFL, and with Metellus willing and able to affect the game in many different ways, the duo has consistently kept offenses guessing over the past two years.