NFL free agency begins in three weeks, an occasion of tremendous interest for the Minnesota Vikings. General Manager Kwesi-Adofo has a roster to rebuild – particularly on defense – and various players will seek new homes.
If Adofo-Mensah doesn’t cross all roster needs off his list during free agency, the NFL draft is about nine weeks away. Minnesota has the 12th overall pick, a byproduct of an underwhelming 8-9 season from 2021.
So, it’s draft season. And even this far out, Vikings fans have a candidate in mind for the 12th pick. It’s not a quarterback – believe it or not. The man is Ahmad Gardner, a cornerback from the University of Cincinnati.
Affectionately known as Sauce, the Bearcats corner is in high demand during the mock-draft cycle. In about three-fourths of all mock drafts, a cornerback is sent to Minnesota. Along with Derek Stingley Jr. from LSU, Gardner is among the most frequent players linked to the Vikings.
Dig around a little on Vikings social media, and you will find Gardner is the man desired, on the whole, by fans – probably because of statistics like this:
Those numbers are remarkable, and the Vikings need cornerbacks. Somehow, after an era pioneered by Mike Zimmer – who notoriously relished cornerbacks – Minnesota is currently in trouble at CB. Cameron Dantzler is the only CB1-type on the roster, followed by men like Kris Boyd and Harrison Hand.
And that’s about it.
If veteran corner Patrick Peterson returns to the Vikings in 2022, anxiety reduces. But should Peterson venture elsewhere, the Vikings need free-agent cornerbacks – like these guys – or they must rely on the NFL draft.
Because Mike Hughes and Jeff Gladney, both 1st-Rounders, did not work out for Minnesota in recent years, the need for cornerbacks is intense. Selecting Sauce starts the path of repairing the CB-neediness.
In a CBS Sports mock draft from Friday, Kyle Stackpole envisioned Gardner to Minnesota, rationalizing the pick in this way:
“With Kirk Cousins likely staying in Minnesota for at least one more season, the Vikings upgrade their uncertain and underwhelming secondary with Gardner. Based on what Minnesota has now, Gardner would likely step in as its No. 1 cornerback right away.”
Kyle Stackpole | CBS Sports
There are a lot of mock drafts akin to this, foreshadowing Garnder to the Vikings.
His collegiate performance is in cahoots with 1st-Round draft stock, his stats at Cincinnati are marvelous, fans have already circled him as the guy, and he’s got a marketable nickname.
It all adds up.
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Minnesota ranked 28th in the NFL during 2021 for passing yards allowed. Plenty of men with Gardner’s skillset are needed to right the ship.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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