Are Vikings Fans Misguided on Starters?
The Minnesota Vikings put together an NFL Draft that included a future starting quarterback and an edge rusher that could take over very quickly. When looking at the state of the current roster, it is assumed that the cornerback position remains to be addressed and that Dalton Rinser should be back. Are both of those things true?
Are Vikings Fans Misguided on Starters?
Brian Flores is faced with one of his weakest position groups across the entire defensive roster when looking at the cornerback position. Sure, Byron Murphy Jr. will start, but there are few guarantees beyond his positioning. Minnesota brought in Shaq Griffin as a free agent this offseason, and they drafted Khyree Jackson out of Oregon, but the leftovers present more questions than answers.
Andrew Booth Jr. was supposed to be a diamond in the rough for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah during his first NFL Draft, and Akayleb Evans flashed promise early in his career. Unfortunately, neither sought to substantiate their success with Flores, and they both left an otherwise uncertain cornerback corps with more questions than answers.
Mekhi Blackmon emerged for the good guys late last season, and Pro Football Focus suggested he was someone worth noting. At a position group that needed significant help, anyone who falls into that category is worth looking at for a second time. He could work his way into a starting role out of the gate in 2024, but it’s not seen as a guarantee.
On the flip side, no free agent has been clamored more for than Dalton Risner. After taking over for Ezra Cleveland, he seemed to establish a level of continuity on the Vikings’ offensive line. Much of that was rooted in his pass protection game, and while that could prove valuable to rookie J.J. McCarthy, he failed to answer the call regarding run blocking.
It remains to be seen what Minnesota will do on the offensive line or at the cornerback position, but fan reaction to the two position groups couldn’t be more divided. The Vikings are all but expected to return Risner, while Blackmon is seen as little more than a rotational player. If the franchise wants to lean into some of the more analytically driven analysis, then each of the spots has plenty to learn from one another.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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