Harrison Smith Replacement Apparently Identified for Vikings

Minneapolis — With Harrison Smith’s presumed farewell still hanging in the balance, the Minnesota Vikings have zeroed in on a candidate to anchor the back end of Brian Flores’ defense for the next era. According to analytics outlet Pro Football Focus, that player is two-time Super Bowl champion safety Bryan Cook, who is set to reach free agency after completing his rookie contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Smith, the 34-year-old icon known league-wide as the “Hitman,” exited U.S. Bank Stadium to a planned ovation in Week 18, fueling expectations that retirement paperwork could arrive at any moment. Even if the veteran opts for one final campaign, Minnesota’s front office views securing a long-term successor as a top priority this offseason.

Josh Metellus has emerged as a Swiss-army-knife in Flores’ blitz-heavy scheme, but coaches believe his optimal impact comes in a hybrid role rather than as a traditional high safety. That leaves a full-time spot next to Metellus up for grabs, and Cook’s résumé makes him an attractive solution.

Drafted 62nd overall in 2022, Cook has spent four seasons in Steve Spagnuolo’s aggressive Kansas City system, thriving in coverage behind frequent five- and six-man pressures. PFF charted him with an 80.3 coverage grade when the Chiefs blitzed this past season, a figure that placed him above the 90th percentile among safeties and slot defenders. The metric addresses a sore spot for Minnesota, whose secondary has periodically surrendered explosive plays when the front seven pressures fail to reach the quarterback.

Beyond numbers, Cook’s versatility stands out. He has aligned deep, in the box, and over the slot, mirroring the pre-snap flexibility that made Smith a cornerstone of the Vikings defense for a dozen years. Flores, who leans on disguise and late rotations, could deploy the 27-year-old in a similar chess-piece capacity.

The fit, however, is not without financial hurdles. Cook headlines a thin safety market that also includes Kamren Curl, and his price tag is expected to reflect both his championship pedigree and positional scarcity. Minnesota currently faces a tight cap situation, requiring creative accounting to clear room for a competitive offer.

If the Vikings can maneuver the books, Cook would arrive with both immediate starting credentials and the age profile—he turns 27 in September—to man the position well into the next contract cycle. In short, he offers Minnesota a potential bridge from the Smith era without a schematic rebuild, a combination that could make the pursuit of the former Chiefs safety one of the franchise’s defining moves of the 2026 offseason.