Josh Metellus Is the Cutting Edge of the NFL’s Newest Trend
Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Life, the NFL, and sports in general are about being able to adapt to your environment and current trends. When success exists, it’s human nature to want to copy that formula. But in those rare moments where you’re not just following trends, but anticipating and being on the cutting edge of them – the world is truly your oyster.
Enter Josh Metellus, a 6th-round pick in 2020 out of Michigan, who started on the practice squad but has evolved into one of the Minnesota Vikings’ most valuable chess pieces. Metellus is a Swiss Army knife who is doing things the league has not seen before. Thanks in part to the guidance of Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, Metellus is developing into the best version of himself.
He’s come out of virtually nowhere to become a linchpin of the defense. Not only was he the 206th pick in his draft, but he wasn’t even selected on the 53-man roster as a rookie. Metellus eventually made it on the practice squad, which is what most late-round picks aspire to do. The NFL is a physical sport, though, and by Week 2 enough injuries occurred to pave a path for Metellus to be called up to the 53-man roster. That season, Metellus primarily played on special teams, but still managed to log 274 total snaps as he patiently waited for his chance to make an impact as a defensive chameleon.
Head coach Mike Zimmer was dismissed at the end of the 2021 season, despite largely being viewed as a defensive innovator. Still, the role of head coach required navigating emotional intelligence, and Zimmer’s ability to do that in Minnesota deteriorated to the point where the culture faltered. Instead of maximizing players’ skill sets, Zimmer’s defenses lacked execution as they ranked 30th and 27th in the NFL over his final two seasons.
In came Ed Donatell as the defensive coordinator in 2022, but once again the group lacked any moxie or structure, which resulted in Minnesota finishing 31st defensively. But Flores replaced Donatell, and it was time for the real Josh Metellus to please stand up.
Prior to Flores’ arrival, Metellus’ career-high for defensive snaps was 258 in 2022, thanks to him starting three in Harrison Smith’s place due to injury. In Year 1 of the Flores Era, Metellus led the NFL in total snaps with 1,256 according to PFF – 1063 defensive snaps and an additional 193 special teams’ coverage snaps.
He wasn’t just playing safety, either. In fact, he had more snaps at virtually every other position. Metellus saw 396 snaps as a slot corner, lined up as a hybrid linebacker in the box 377 times, and was even a three-down lineman in Flores’ base 3-4 scheme 206 times. He only played 55 and nine snaps, respectively, between free and strong safety, showcasing his versatility in Flores’ hybrid defensive coverages.
Flores played chess with the Vikings’ defense, and Metellus was the Queen: Able to fill almost any role and switch between them at a moment’s notice. Metellus’ versatility fueled Flores’ creative lab experiments.
Most impressively, Metellus had snaps at all 11 defensive positions, leading the league by a wide margin for safeties with 116 pass-rush snaps. For comparison, teammate Harrison Smith was second in the NFL with 99 pass-rush snaps, and Antoine Winfield Jr. and Kyle Dugger were tied for third with 55.
Despite leading the league in pass-rush snaps, Metellus only had 3 sacks, but entering his second full season under Flores should only enhance his understanding of the system. It’s safe to say that Metellus will again be empowered with every opportunity to make plays.
There is still an opportunity for Metellus to improve on his 69.2 PFF grade in 2023 (versus his 85.1 2022 grade, which was in a more limited fashion) and that is something Flores and Metellus will no doubt discuss. It’s a work in progress, of course, as his hyper-flexible role is truly a unique aspect in the league, one that teams will almost certainly try to copy.
That is, of course, assuming other teams have the creativity and personnel to implement such a role effectively. That’s debatable, as NFL teams are generally putting more emphasis on the offensive side of the ball. Luckily for the Vikings, there are two minds in the building (Kevin O’Connell being the other) that seem to align on the same perspective with player development, as well as an emphasis on creativity and innovation.
Flores was able to utilize a unique approach to play-calling where the Vikings led the league in both blitzing and dropping eight players into coverage. However, that’s only made possible by Metellus’ skill set, his ability to comprehend and execute Flores’ scheme, and willingness to play several positions on the defense.
There is room to grow, but some hiccups in blazing a trail don’t negate the special value he brings as a hybrid contributor in a league desperate to gain an advantage. Metellus plays several positions, offers excellent results on special teams, and has a teacher in Flores who is maximizing his best attributes. It’s a perfect storm that is quickly making Josh Metellus the newest trend in the NFL.
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