Safety Harrison Smith said he could tell in April. His fellow Vikings safety Josh Metellus displayed a maturity in meetings befitting a 25-year-old former late-round pick who clawed his way through special teams to get a few NFL starts under his belt last season.
Metellus, a 2020 sixth-round pick, had earned the respect of his teammates. His special teams work and professional approach got him a player-voted team captain spot in January, replacing the injured Brian O'Neill for two games.
Now he's getting praise from new defensive coordinator Brian Flores, and plenty of snaps as a part-time role player with the first-team defense.