ESPN shared X factors for each NFL team with the 53-man rosters set and the NFL season around the corner. One former Tennessee defensive back could be an X Factor for his NFL team this season.
While ESPN writer Ben Solak recognized coaching and great quarterbacks, and star players are often the reason for winning football games, Solak also recognized the players that don't have massive contracts or fame-worthy names as X Factors that can help a team win a game they otherwise wouldn't.
"Football is a complex game with many moving parts, and the influence of a star quarterback or a genius head coach only reaches the water's edge," Solak writes.
"Wins and losses also can be found in the key late sack from a pass rusher; the running game powered by a bolstered offensive line; and the secondary or tertiary target that shines when the primary is double-covered. We call these players X factors."
One X Factor identified by Solak is former Tennessee defensive back Theo Jackson. The Vikings' safety is entering his fourth season in the league after totaling 47 tackles and three interceptions over his first three seasons in the NFL.
Jackson spent five years at Tennessee, playing 56 games from 2017 to 2021. He finished his collegiate career with 190 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and three interceptions, with one of those being a pick-six.
"[Cam] Bynum left for Indianapolis on a big free-agent deal, leaving [Theo] Jackson to fill his shoes. Jackson has taken fewer than 200 defensive snaps combined over the previous two campaigns," Solak continues.
"But he has been lauded for his preparation in the Vikings' building, where he was the primary backup safety for all three of Metellus, Bynum, and Smith – three very different roles. Flores has enjoyed having a reliable safety blanket in Bynum, who allowed him to call many of his more aggressive blitzes; if Jackson can offer the same production, expect Minnesota's D to keep chugging."
The former Vol has the potential to be a key player for the Vikings this season, as they aim to establish their identity on offense with J.J. McCarthy poised to take over the offense.