Vikings Rookie Mackensie Alexander Headed to IR

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Dec 23, 2016
Image courtesy of Vikings.com

And another one bites the dust.

The hits just keep on coming for the Minnesota Vikings. Just a few days following an announcement stating defensive tackle Tom Johnson would miss the remainder of the season due to a torn hamstring, the Vikings placed rookie cornerback and 2016 second-round pick Mackensie Alexander on injured reserve.

Undrafted rookie running back CJ Ham, who has spent the duration of the year on Minnesota’s practice squad, was signed to the active roster to fill the spot voided by the Clemson product.

Alexander, who was selected No. 54 overall by the Vikings this past spring following a bit of a draft-day slide, has battled multiple injuries throughout his initial season at the professional level. The Vikings did not announce which physical ailment led to the rookie cornerback’s placement on IR, but according to the team’s official injury report for this week, Alexander practiced on a limited basis Wednesday due to an abdomen issue prior to his listing as a full participant on Thursday.

The first-year defensive back has also been hampered by both ankle and groin injuries this season.

As a result of the designation, Alexander will finish his rookie season with five combined tackles and one pass breakup in 13 appearances. He had been utilized sparingly on defense — which should not come as a surprise given Minnesota’s depth at cornerback — as Alexander recorded a grand total of only 67 snaps at cornerback (47 in coverage) while also maintaining a role on special teams.

Alexander’s rookie year will likely be remembered best for the growing pains he experienced. Despite a limited defensive role, the former Clemson standout received his fair share of “welcome to the NFL” moments. He was flagged on multiple occasions — defensive holding (Anquan Boldin); pass interference (Marquis Lee) likely representing the most notable instances — as a result of a “handsy” coverage style, which was highlighted as an issue in pre-draft scouting reports.

The highlight of his rookie campaign likely came back in Week 5 while in coverage against Houston Texans tight end CJ Fiedorowicz. Alexander, with help from linebacker Eric Kendricks, recorded his lone pass breakup on a Brock Osweiler pass that he very nearly intercepted.

Conversely, his worst moment(s) came via the veteran Boldin with time running down in the second quarter during Minnesota’s Week 9 matchup with the Lions. Defending a 2nd-and-goal situation in replace of an ailing Xavier Rhodes, Alexander — who did not allow a single touchdown reception during his final season at Clemson — was flagged for an extremely blatant defensive holding penalty prior to yielding a 1-yard touchdown catch to Boldin on the ensuing play.

Minnesota’s 2016 draft class, which received raving reviews from both scouts and analysts alike, has been a definitive disappointment this season, as first-round wide receiver Laquon Treadwell and Alexander have recorded a combined total of 146 snaps with only two games remaining on the docket.

By comparison, undrafted safety Anthony Harris turned in 148 snaps as a rookie last season.

While Alexander was not expected to be a primary contributor on defense this season due to the presence of Captain Munnerlyn, his rookie output did not yield an encouraging first impression. Like Treadwell, however, he is exceptionally talented and will have plenty of time to hone his craft this summer — which could realistically lead to an opportunity for redemption if Munnerlyn is not re-signed this offseason.

The addition of yet another player to Minnesota’s talented double-digit list of players on injured reserve, while notable, may not be the most intriguing storyline embedded within this transaction, however.

Signing Ham, an undrafted rookie from Division-II Augustana (S.D.), to the active roster likely conveys doubt regarding Adrian Peterson’s availability against the Green Bay Packers in Week 16. Furthermore, the Duluth, Minn. native may be in for more than a simple roster promotion, as Peterson, Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata have combined for a historically ineffective season rushing the football behind a putrid Vikings offensive line.Ham, who recorded

Ham, who recorded 59 rushing yards and a touchdown in extended action during the Vikings’ final preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams, could be in line for his first snaps as a professional.

With Peterson’s tenure in Minnesota slowly creeping toward a bitter end, McKinnon lacking consistency on carries between the tackles and Asiata, well, not exactly demonstrating “franchise running back” traits, the former Division-II standout may very well be staring down an opportunity of a lifetime.

The multidimensional skill set Ham employed while playing in the Northern Sun Conference yielded impressive statistical totals, and, despite obvious doubts regarding the level of competition he faced, the former Augustana running back showed enough potential throughout training camp and the preseason to warrant a spot on Minnesota’s practice squad.

His ability to explode in-and-out of cuts, fall forward upon initiating contact, effortlessly catch the ball out the backfield and pass protect at a serviceable level drew cheers in Mankato this past summer. With the Vikings’ season more-or-less over, the talent Ham has displayed should be enough to, at the very least, warrant a test drive.

If nothing else, the addition of Ham to the team’s active 53-man roster coupled with the presence of Minnesota State-Mankato product Adam Thielen means 3.7 percent of the Vikings’ depth chart is made up of former Division-II athletes native to Minnesota — that has to be some kind of weird record, right?

 

Statistics courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference; Snap Counts courtesy of Pro Football Focus; Film Clips courtesy of NFL Game Pass.

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