S Anthony Harris is arguably the best player in the Vikings’ 2021 free agency class.
Harris had a 2019 where he tallied six interceptions in the regular season and one in the playoffs. That year, he earned a PFF grade of 90.5.
In 2020, Harris regressed. He had no interceptions and a PFF grade of 66.2. However, based on his body of work, Harris should still command a decent price in free agency.
So it makes sense that Minnesota is reportedly looking for other safeties in free agency. Per multiple reports, the Vikings have expressed interest in Falcons S Keanu Neal, who is a free agent this offseason. Although, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press added the caveat that it is “early interest” at this time.
Neal had one interception and a PFF grade of 68.2 in 2020. He made the Pro Bowl in 2017 when he had one interception and a PFF grade of 78.1. He suffered back-to-back season-ending injuries in 2018 and 2019.
So Neal has been good in the past and the Vikings probably don’t need a stellar safety paired with someone as good as S Harrison Smith. That said, this move would likely be a downgrade from the Smith-Harris pairing back deep.
