Now that we are about halfway through the regular season, it is time to start considering which players are deserving of the Pro Bowl. For this series, we will look at the three most deserving candidates for each team. Obviously, some teams will have more or less than three players selected to the Pro Bowl, but for simplicity purposes, we will discuss the top three either way.
Top Midseason Vikings Pro Bowl Candidates
Harrison Smith
Finally the league will recognize what has been obvious to Vikings fans for years: Harrison Smith is a Pro Bowl calibre safety. Noticeably missing from last year’s honors, Smith will be a shoe-in for Hawaii in January. The fourth year player is having a phenomenal year, graded by Pro Football Focus as the second best safety in the league; through week nine only giving up two passes for 16 yards and a quarterback rating of 0.0 when targeted. He is also rated in the top five at run defense; he has a sack, forced fumble and an interception to date along with 42 combined tackles. Smith has been a force to be reckoned with throughout his four years in the league earning the nickname “The Hitman” for his hard-hitting instinctive play.
What makes Smith’s performance so astonishing is how bad the safeties play opposite him. This position has rotated between Andrew Sendejo, Antone Exum and Robert Blanton on a weekly basis, none being very effective in coverage. The Vikings are second in fewest points allowed with 17.5 points a game and Smith is a big reason for this, having the speed and vision to be in the right place at the right time, fast becoming a shut down safety while in pass coverage and a terror in the backfield when blitzing.
Linval Joseph
While not a flashy player, nose tackle Linval Joseph has become the perfect Mike Zimmer defensive weapon; he doesn’t produce stellar results on the stats sheet but is a guy in the trenches working on every down. While Joseph’s first year in purple was less than desirable, his second season has seen some notable performances—35 total tackles and half a sack on the year so far. He has also become the run stopping nose tackle the Vikings have sorely missed since Pat Williams retired in 2010, only having one missed tackle through eight games. What makes Joseph a candidate for the Pro-Bowl is that he is getting batter with every game. In week nine’s game against the Saint Louis Rams he contributed heavily to stopping sensational rookie Todd Gurley from reaching his fifth consecutive game with over 100 yards rushing, holding the back to 89 yards and an average of 3.7 yards a carry.
The quintessential team player, Joseph rarely cares for individual honors. When praised by head coach Mike Zimmer as being the best nose tackle he had ever coached, Joseph replied, “I really do appreciate it… everybody working together and helping one another, I just love being around this team.” (David Campbell Star Tribune). Joseph signed a five year $31.25 Million contract in 2014 and if he continues to perform how he has this season, the Vikings will have secured their future for years to come.
Eric Kendricks
While absent from week nine’s game versus the Rams, middle linebacker Eric Kendricks has established himself as an outstanding rookie and he should be in contention for defensive rookie of the year. Already nominated for two rookie of the week awards, he was honored by the league with defensive rookie of the month for October, amassing 20 tackles and four sacks in just three games. Initially being considered a rotational player on passing downs, the second round pick quickly supplanted incumbent Gerald Hoges. Kendricks impresses so much in fact that Hoges was traded to the San Francisco 49ers during the team’s bye week.
Although Kendricks missed the game against the Rams due to a rib injury, he has amassed 38 solo tackles (42 total) along with the four sacks. He has helped make the Vikings defense one of the best in the league and the only team to have limited opposing offenses to 23 points of fewer.
With the Vikings starting to turn heads, we can expect more than these three candidates to make the Pro Bowl. While not having a career year, Adrian Peterson has shown what makes him a player for consideration and Stefon Diggs has been a revelation in his five starts at wide receiver already having one NFL record to his name. Anthony Barr, Captain Munnerlyn and Everson Griffen have helped shape a formidable defense, while Blair Walsh has become one of the most consistent kickers in the league after a rocky start.
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