Vikings Draft Strategy Could Involve Ignoring CB
Janik Eckardt
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The myths of the ignored positions of the Rick Spielman era have been a highly-debated topic in the last few weeks and the last decade in general. No other team invested as much draft capital into the offensive linemen in the last ten years as the Vikings, without much success.
The offensive line is still a disaster, especially the interior. The pairing of offensive tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill is one of the strengths of the Vikings. For some reason, folks still claimed that the purple team ignored the weakness across the offensive line, which is false.
The other alleged ignored position is quarterback. While the Vikings certainly didn’t have the best history with starting quarterbacks, it is not because of a lack of trying. The Vikings select QBs at an average rate — but they picked the wrong ones and had some bad injury luck.
Vikings Draft Strategy Could Involve Ignoring CB
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is in an interesting position in the upcoming draft on April 27. The Vikings need a lot of help at various positions. The GM could potentially use the valuable first-round pick for a wideout, a defensive tackle, an edge rusher, or an offensive lineman, just to name a few. Even the selection of a quarterback should be on the table, considering Kirk Cousins’ contract status and age.
Many folks want the Vikings to fix another issue – cornerback. The purple team employed one of the worst passing defenses in the league, despite having two high-end pass rushers who made life harder for passers. Wanting the team to address the issue is totally understandable after watching the secondary in the last three seasons since Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes left in free agency.
However, ignoring the position in the draft could make a lot of sense. The Vikings selected a couple of CBs in the last draft. Andrew Booth, out of Clemson, was a second-round pick and was viewed by many as a first-round talent. He missed the majority of his rookie campaign injured but still has the potential to become a starting-caliber cornerback.
In addition to Booth, the Vikings traded up in the fourth round to secure the rights for Akayleb Evans. He unexpectedly had to play a major role in his rookie season because of many injuries to his teammates. After some intriguing games, Evans suffered a couple of concussions and also had to miss time because of injury. He was the clear target going into the draft, and trading up secured the pick, and the organization certainly saw something when they wanted to get him.
One thing is sure. The Vikings won’t give up on either of the two anytime soon. Many rookies struggle on the field, and injuries are always unfortunate. Both young players will get chances to win an important job in the offseason and training camp.
New defensive coordinator Brian Flores already has two young and developing cornerbacks on the team. It wouldn’t be wise to add another one to the mix. Instead, the Vikings should try to sign a veteran presence, especially a couple of solid and reliable cornerbacks who should be the targets. That is not the description of a rookie.
The Vikings need someone who can open the season as a starter. One of their own free agents could make sense — Duke Shelley. He was the unexpected star of the purple team in the 2022 campaign but is set to enter free agency.
Adofo-Mensah should try to bring him back. If one of Booth and Evans can beat him out for a starting job, the team would have an excellent backup. If they can’t, that’s also fine, as the two could learn the game without having the pressure to step onto the field, barring any injuries.
Minnesota could also try to fill one starting spot with a high-end starter in free agency and only worry about the second spot. Players like Jamel Dean from the Buccaneers and Byron Murphy from the Cardinals are available in free agency.
Cameron Dantzler, a 2020 third-rounder, is still on the team. He looked like a promising player in 2020 but has struggled ever since. It’s possible he can play a role in his fourth season, but it is not a given at this point.
The cornerbacks under contract for 2023 are Andrew Booth, Akayleb Evans, Cameron Dantzler, Kalon Barnes, and Tay Gowan. It’s safe to say that the Vikings will add some players to the group before the season kicks off in September.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and Classic rock is his music genre of choice. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
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