Why Camryn Bynum is the Vikings' next logical contract extension candidate

Bynum is a key piece of Minnesota's defense and is entering the final year of his rookie contract.

Oct 23, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings safety Camryn Bynum (24) runs off the field after the game against the San Francisco 49ers at U.S. Bank Stadium. / Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

This offseason, the Vikings have finalized long-term contract extensions with star left tackle Christian Darrisaw and superstar receiver Justin Jefferson, who are the two most important core pieces in place for rookie QB J.J. McCarthy. While not on the same level as those two franchise cornerstones, safety Camryn Bynum should be next in line for an extension before the 2024 season gets underway. He's entering the final year of his rookie contract and is an important — and perhaps underrated — part of Brian Flores' defense.

Last season, Bynum led the Vikings' defense in snaps played for the second consecutive year. After struggling a bit under Ed Donatell in 2022 in his first season as a full-time starter, Bynum thrived under Flores. His third-year breakout campaign saw him rack up 137 tackles, 9 passes defended, 3 forced fumbles, and a pair of interceptions, which both came late in the Vikings' upset victory over Brock Purdy and the 49ers. His 73.2 PFF grade ranked 15th among 74 safeties who played at least 500 snaps.

Bynum picks it off again to seal the W! #Skol pic.twitter.com/KGWfdjs21c

— NFL (@NFL) October 24, 2023

In a Flores scheme that requires everyone to be versatile, Bynum sometimes lined up in the slot or in the box. But he played most of his snaps as a deep free safety, allowing teammates Harrison Smith and Josh Metellus to move all over the place. The Vikings' incredible safety trio worked so well last year because their complementary skill sets were allowed to flourish under Flores. Bynum's ability to make plays on the ball and make open-field tackles at a high level were key parts of the whole picture.

A fourth-round pick out of Cal in 2021, the Vikings converted Bynum from cornerback to safety in the NFL, which turned out to be a prescient move. He showed flashes of potential across a handful of games as a rookie, highlighted by a diving interception of Lamar Jackson in Baltimore. Bynum was inconsistent in 2022 — as were most of his defensive teammates — but his 2023 performance was outstanding.

Heading into the final year of his rookie deal as a former fourth-rounder, Bynum has made less than $4 million in his three NFL seasons. It would make a lot of sense for the Vikings to try to get an extension done with him prior to Week 1, which would cement him as part of their defensive core and avoid the possibility of losing him in free agency next spring. Something in the range of $10-12 million annually feels fair, as that would place Bynum on the cusp of being one of the ten highest-paid safeties in the league for the time being. That would provide some nice future security for Bynum, and if he keeps playing like he did last year, it would also be good value for the Vikings.