The Vikings Ring of Honor is essentially a hall of fame exclusively for members of the team.
There are hall of famers like Fran Tarkenton in the Ring of Honor, but some of the players who make the ring don’t necessarily make the hall of fame in Canton, Ohio.
There are plenty of players on the Vikings’ defense who are off to strong starts in their careers, and if they keep up the good work, they could end up in the Ring of Honor one day.
Here are three Vikings from the defense who are most likely to eventually make it:
Safety Harrison Smith
A first-round draft pick by the Vikings in 2012, Smith has proven to be one of the top safeties in the NFL.
He has made the Pro Bowl every season since 2015. Smith has 23 career interceptions, and he’s also active in providing pressure when he blitzes. His versatility on defense, and talent in pass coverage has made him a staple of Mike Zimmer’s defense. Here’s to more years where he does the same.
Defensive end Danielle Hunter
Hunter is off to a promising start in his first five seasons in the NFL, all of which have been with the Vikings. Hunter has 54.5 career sacks, including 14.5 in two consecutive seasons.
Hunter is a stellar pass rusher, who became the youngest NFL player to get to 50 sacks for his career. If he keeps this pace, he will be one of the top pass rushers in the league for seasons to come.
Safety Anthony Harris
If the Vikings can secure a long-term deal with Harris this offseason, they will be locking down one of the top players on the defense.
Harris has shown that he can be a ball hawk. In his first season where he started more than half the games, he had three interceptions. In 2019-20, he had six, tying a league best.
Harris has been given more playing time, and his level of play has made those extra reps well deserved. If his future is on the Vikings defense, he has a chance to finish his career as one of the best pass-coverage safeties to wear a Vikings uniform.
