A Common Vikings Draft Theory May Be Wrong
For a decade, the Minnesota Vikings have struck out when drafting cornerbacks early in drafts.
A Common Vikings Draft Theory May Be Wrong
There’s just no other way around it. The last semi-successful example occurred in 2015 after former general manager Rick Spielman chose Trae Waynes, who stuck around for his rookie contract and performed mostly well.
Thereafter, Minnesota has missed on Mike Hughes, Jeff Gladney, Cameron Dantzler, and Andrew Booth.
Drafting corners is naughty in Minnesota, but this go-round, guess what? Minnesota arguably needs a cornerback once again — probably because they’ve struck out so frequently for 10 years.
But here’s why the current they-will-draft-a-cornerback theory might be wrong.
Faith in Isaiah Rodgers
Mainly because newly signed cornerback Isaiah Rodgers missed all of the 2023 campaign due to a gambling suspension, onlookers consider him a lottery ticket for the 2025 Vikings. And to a degree, that assessment is fair.
However, Kevin O’Connell said this week at league meetings that his team has big plans for Rodgers, hinting that his defensive lieutenant, Brian Flores, views Rodgers as a bonafide starting commodity — not some fringe backup looking for redemption.
O’Connell even said that Flores spoke with “excitement in his voice” when telling his bosses to sign Rodgers from free agency, and if Flores says it, it might be gold.
Therefore, if Flores, O’Connell, and Minnesota’s brass sees Rodgers as the for-sure CB2 in 2025, well, rookie CBs like Trey Amos, Jahdae Barron, Maxwell Hairston, Benjamin Morrison, Shavon Revel Jr., or Azaraeye’h Thomas won’t be needed. Rodgers is 27; he isn’t overly old in NFL-speak.
The Asante Samuel Jr. Rumor
Last week, SKOR North uplifted a wild Asante Samuel Jr. rumor, as that network claimed it received an anonymous tip that Samuel Jr. could sign in Minnesota after the draft. Of course, that tidbit arrived from a game of telephone involving someone’s neighbor at a Miami nightclub — bizarre, we know — so some won’t fully trust it.
However, VikingsTerritory checked around the rumor’s legitimacy, and surprisingly, two sources basically said, “I believe that rumor.’ Those sources aren’t wrong much.
Just like the Isaiah Rodgers angle, Minnesota wouldn’t need a rookie like Jahdae Barron if it inked Samuel Jr. to a three-year deal or so.
Don’t Forget Jaire Alexander
One Green Bay Packer per offseason always defects from the cheese team. Eric Wilson did so last month, but he also began his career in purple, so he might not count, depending on the eye of the beholder.
Last season, the Packers’ relationship with Jaire Alexander seemed to fracture, and if Brian Gutekunst can’t trade Alexander soon, he’ll be released.
Like Brett Favre, Aaron Jones, Za’Darius Smith, and others, Alexander could turn purple and battle his former rival, Green Bay, twice annually.
A CB room featuring Alexander, Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, and Jeff Okudah might do the trick.
Mekhi Blackmon Might Be a Baller
In 2023, then-rookie defensive back Mekhi Blackmon quietly balled out. Minnesota also featured rookie linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. that season, and because he was an undrafted free agent find, Pace Jr.’s output overshadowed Blackmon’s.
But listen — Blackmon might turn into a starter. That’s not an unheard-of possibility.
He missed all of 2024 because of a torn ACL, and some kind of forgot about him. He’s back, though.
Mike Hilton or Rasul Douglas as Fallbacks
Suppose general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah prefers an interior offensive lineman, defensive tackle, running back, or safety with his first pick in the draft. That would rule out a 1st-Round or early-2nd-Round cornerback.
Then what? Well, in addition to Samuel Jr. and Alexander, a couple more free-agent cornerbacks live on the open market. Mike Hilton and Rasul Douglas are examples. It’s not doom and gloom if Adofo-Mensah veers from a corner in the draft. Not by a long shot. He has some current roster depth and free agency.
Bleacher Report even connected to Hilton to Minnesota in an article this week.
The Outlandish Sauce Gardner Rumor
In March, a gnarly Sauce Gardner rumor hit Vikings-themed social media, and it just won’t die.
As Stefon Diggs said in 2019, “There’s truth to all rumors.”
If the Gardner stuff materializes — VikingsTerritory‘s sources have heard nothing about that one — he’d become the lockdown cornerback Minnesota has coveted since Xavier Rhodes, and that’d be that.
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