Joshua Metellus (born January 21, 1998) is an American professional football utility player for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He is currently listed as a safety. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, where he was twice named an All-Big Ten selection. He was selected by the Vikings in the 2020 NFL draft.
.jpg) Metellus with the Vikings in 2022 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 44 – Minnesota Vikings | |||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Safety | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | January 21, 1998 North Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 207 lb (94 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Charles W. Flanagan (Pembroke Pines, Florida) | ||||||||||||||
| College: | Michigan (2016–2019) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2020 / round: 6 / pick: 205 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 7, 2024 | |||||||||||||||
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College career
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After playing at Charles W. Flanagan High School, Metellus committed to Michigan on June 17, 2015, choosing the Wolverines over Colorado, Florida International, Middle Tennessee State and others.[1] He had previously committed to Georgia Southern, but switched to Michigan after attending an affiliate camp, and Flanagan teammate Devin Bush Jr. later signed with Michigan as well.[2]
Metellus saw some action as a backup during his true freshman season at Michigan, and garnered honorable mention all-Big Ten Conference during his sophomore season on the strength of three games started.[3]
After practicing at both free safety and strong safety in the spring,[4] his senior season included duties as an edge cover in the running game and a roaming safety in the passing game.[5] Metellus was named a team captain his senior season, and participated in the 2020 Senior Bowl and 2020 NFL Combine.[6]
Professional career
edit| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
209 lb (95 kg) |
32+1⁄4 in (0.82 m) |
10+1⁄4 in (0.26 m) |
4.55 s | 1.60 s | 2.66 s | 4.40 s | 6.94 s | 36.5 in (0.93 m) |
10 ft 4 in (3.15 m) |
20 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine[7][8] | ||||||||||||
Metellus was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the sixth round (205th overall) of the 2020 NFL draft.[9] He was waived by the Vikings during final roster cuts on September 5, 2020, and signed to the practice squad the next day.[10][11] He was promoted to the active roster on September 18, 2020.[12]
Metellus made his first career start in Week 3 of the 2022 season against the Detroit Lions, where he recorded his first career interception off Jared Goff in the final seconds of the fourth quarter in the 28–24 win.[13]
On September 7, 2023, Metellus signed a two-year contract extension with the Vikings.[14][15] During the 2023 season, he became notable for his versatility within Brian Flores' defense, playing in twelve different defensive positions through Week 14.[16]
References
edit- ^ "Josh Metellus Recruit Interests". 247Sports. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ Brugler, Dane (April 7, 2020). The Athletic's 2020 NFL Draft Guide (PDF). The Athletic. p. 233. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ "NFL Draft & Combine Profile – Josh Metellus". NFL.com. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ Sang, Orion (August 11, 2019). "Michigan elder statesman Josh Metellus has insight. 'People look up to me'". Detroit Free Press. Gannett. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ Sears, Ethan (November 2, 2019). "As Michigan shuts down Maryland, Josh Metellus stands at the center of everything". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ Harrington, Lynn (February 9, 2020). "Josh Metellus excited about journey to the NFL". Stay Alive in Power 5. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ "Josh Metellus Combine Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
- ^ "2020 Draft Scout Josh Metellus, Michigan NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
- ^ "NFL Draft 2020: Vikings take Michigan S Josh Metellus in sixth round". MLive. April 25, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
- ^ Peters, Craig; Smith, Eric (September 5, 2020). "Vikings Announce Roster Moves, Set Initial 53-Man Roster". Minnesota Vikings. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- ^ "Vikings Claim LB Ryan Connelly, Add 13 Players To Practice Squad". Vikings.com. September 6, 2020.
- ^ Smith, Eric (September 18, 2020). "Vikings Add Jones & Metellus to 53-Man Roster". Vikings.com.
- ^ Young, Lindsey (September 26, 2022). "Metellus Caps 1st Vikings Start with 1st Career Interception". Vikings.com. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
- ^ Young, Lindsey (September 7, 2023). "Vikings Sign Josh Metellus to 2-Year Extension". Vikings.com. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
- ^ Alper, Josh (September 7, 2023). "Josh Metellus agrees to two-year extension with Vikings". NBCSports.com.
- ^ Brown, Brandon (December 11, 2023). "Is Josh Metellus The Most Versatile Player In The NFL?". SI.com.
External links
edit
- Career statistics from NFL.com · ESPN · Yahoo Sports
- Minnesota Vikings bio
- Michigan Wolverines bio