Sep 2, 2021; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; East Carolina Pirates helmet before the game against the Appalachian State Mountaineers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports.
The 2025 NFL Draft is 19 weeks away, and if the event began today, the Minnesota Vikings would select 30th.
That’s the “downside” to a sweet 11-2 record, as Minnesota is currently cruising through the regular season, needing just one more win, a Los Angeles Rams loss, or a Seattle Seahawks loss to reach the playoffs.
And according to ESPN, an outfit already peeking at April’s draft, the Vikings could spend their 1st-Rounder on a cornerback based on short- and long-term roster needs. Field Yates published a mock draft this week and connected East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. to the purple team.
“A torn ACL cut Revel’s final season short in September. If not for that, we’d be talking about him much closer to the top 10. Revel has terrific size, speed, acceleration and ball skills, as he snagged two interceptions in three games this season,” Yates wrote Wednesday.
For now, these are the Vikings cornerbacks on the 2024 roster:
Of that group, only Blackmon, McGlothern, and Thompson are under contract for 2025. Indeed, Minnesota will need cornerbacks from free agency or the draft unless it’s content with getting the band back together.
Yates added, “It’s unclear whether Brian Flores will still be the Vikings’ defensive coordinator next season (or if he will land a head coach job elsewhere), but it’s worth nothing that Minnesota dials up pressure and relies on its corners a lot. And with Stephon Gilmore, Byron Murphy Jr. and Shaquill Griffin set to be free agents in March, the Vikings need cover guys like Revel.”
Overall, Minnesota will have a few draft needs when the offseason arrives, including cornerback, defensive tackle, running back, and perhaps an upgrade at WR3. Too, Minnesota must figure out a QB2 plan if Sam Darnold leaves town for QB1 money on the open market.
But cornerback arguably supersedes them all, as Flores’ defense is gliding through 14 weeks with veteran defensive backs. Outside of McGlothern, an undrafted rookie, there are no youthful CB alternatives other than Blackmon for the long haul.
In that vein, Yates’ Revel Jr. recommendation checks out. Depending on where the Vikings finish in the draft pecking order, Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison is intriguing, too.
Minnesota is scheduled to have a 1st-Round pick, two 5th-Rounders, and likely a 3rd-Round compensatory pick this April.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.