MANKATO, Minn. -- Harrison Smith has been paid. So has Everson Griffen, and now Xavier Rhodes as well. In the past 13 months, in fact, the Minnesota Vikings have committed $103 million in guaranteed money to secure three key defensive players.

The outlay, which almost certainly will swell further in the coming year, puts numbers and tangible data on what had been a subjective observation: This is a defense stocked with talented players. Rhodes, Smith and Griffen are all among the highest-paid players at their positions, and it's reasonable to think that teammates Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks and Danielle Hunter could all follow suit after the season.

The Rhodes deal, general manager Rick Spielman said, is part of a strategic offseason plan the Vikings initiated because they "wanted to keep as many of these core guys together as we can." And while it might not be groundbreaking to declare this a talented defense, it's worth pointing out that the market agrees.

At this moment, you might feel compelled to correct that sentence and say that it's an acknowledgment only of the Vikings' analysis of the player and market. But this is largely how the NFL financial market develops: Teams project how much their player would be worth on the open market and then offer something they hope will be signed to avoid a free-agent bidding war.

When the final numbers are in, Rhodes will rank No. 3 among all NFL cornerbacks in average annual salary and fifth in guaranteed money. Joe Banner, the former president of the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns, suggested on Twitter that if anything, Rhodes would have been justified in seeking more money.

Griffen, the team's top pass-rusher, ranks sixth among 4-3 defensive ends in guarantees and annual average salary. Smith, who has earned Pro Bowl honors the past two seasons, ranks fourth among all safeties.

Viewed this way, it means the Vikings have at least three elite defensive players. Griffen requires extra attention from offensive linemen to be slowed in the pass rush. Rhodes can be matched up against an opponent's No. 1 receiver. Smith can be counted on to support the run like a linebacker and tackle as well as anyone in the secondary.

This is both a recognition of the Vikings' talent and a confirmation of their high floor. Combining their well-paid triumvirate with the next trio of Barr, Kendricks and Hunter -- while throwing in nose tackle Linval Joseph -- brings us to an inescapable conclusion. It would be a major disappointment if this defense, talented as it is and coached by a playcalling guru in Mike Zimmer, is anything less than spectacular in 2017. The Vikings are certainly planning to pay for one.