Josh Metellus
American football player (born 1998) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
American football player (born 1998) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 2023 | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
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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]
| 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]
