Vikings Have a Quiet, Brooding Roster Need
The Minnesota Vikings have notably added Ryan Kelly (C), Will Fries (G), Jonathan Allen (DT), Javon Hargrave (DT), Jordan Mason (RB, trade), and Isaiah Rodgers (CB) this offseason in addition to re-upping with Aaron Jones (RB), Byron Murphy Jr. (CB), Theo Jackson (S), and Harrison Smith (S).
Vikings Have a Quiet, Brooding Roster Need
Other players like Tavierre Thomas (CB), Justin Skule (OT), Bubba Bolden (S), and Eric Wilson (LB) have turned purple, too.
But with free agency still in full swing and the second wave upon the NFL, the Vikings arguably still need a cornerback. Here’s why.
Why Is Cornerback a Need?
One week ago, NFL Network‘s Tom Pelissero tweeted, “The Vikings and Pro Bowl CB Byron Murphy agreed to terms on a monster three-year, $66 million contract — a $22M average per year, sources tell me and Ian Rapoport. Agent Zeke Sandhu of Klutch Sports negotiated the deal, which keeps Murphy in Minnesota after his breakout season.”
The sweet contract for Murphy made the Vikings’ offseason so that folks wouldn’t have to panic. At the very least, Minnesota will showcase one dependable cornerback — one who earned his first Pro Bowl kudos last season.
After Murphy Jr., however, it’s “hopeful maybes” for Minnesota.
Cornerback Mekhi Blackmon, who tore his ACL at training camp last summer, featured a promising rookie campaign in 2023, one that was overshadowed by linebacker Ivan Pace Jr.’s rise to prominence. Folks were indeed high on Blackmon for 2024 before the injury ruined everything.
Based on the Vikings’ free-agent moves, the purple team has professed Super Bowl stakes as early as this season. Of course, quarterback J.J. McCarthy must morph into a Top 15 passer for that Holy Grail theory, but the franchise’s team-building suggests it is making a run … right now.
The only other notable cornerback addition? Isaiah Rodgers.
The Isaiah Rodgers Outlook
Here’s Rodgers’ Pro Football Focus resume to date:
2024: 73.2
2023: n/a
2022: 82.1
2021: 70.7
2020: 85.6
The former 6th-Round pick from the 2020 NFL Draft missed all of the 2023 campaign due to a gambling violation. One season later, he won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Here’s Rodgers’ passer rating against since 2020:
2024: 82.1
2023: n/a
2022: 113.0
2021: 78.1
2020: 142.9
Rodgers has appeared in 60 career games while starting 13. He’s never really been trusted with CB1 or CB2 duty, though that could change in Minnesota, especially if no more CB transactions are on the way.
The Vikings’ defense ranked second leaguewide in 2024 per EPA/Play, a vast improvement from the 2022 and 2023 campaigns. Minnesota will also showcase coaching continuity in 2025, as defensive coordinator Brian Flores did not earn a head coaching job this cycle.
In that vein, it proved that cornerbacks like Stephon Gilmore and Shaquill Griffin could do the trick.
Still, Gilmore and Griffin have not been re-signed, meaning Rodgers, for now, is on deck for a starter’s job, which seems a bit shaky for a Super Bowl-contending team. The Philadelphia Eagles, for instance, have no shakiness, with Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell on the books for 2025.
Vikings fans run the risk of inflating Rodgers’ value this offseason because they want him to be good so badly. He’s never consistently latched on a starter. And that’s when he wasn’t suspended for gambling.
The 2025 Cornerbacks As-Is
Here’s the group:
- CB1: Byron Murphy Jr.
- CB2: Mekhi Blackmon
- CB3: Isaiah Rodgers
- CB4: Dwight McGlothern
- CB5: Tavierre Thomas
- CB6: NaJee Thompson
- CB7: Nahshon Wright
- CB8: Ambry Thomas
- CB9: Reddy Steward
- CB10: Kahlef Hailassie
Through mid-March, onlookers can glance at that group and say, “Yeah, that might work.”
But it’s nowhere near as deep, credible, or talented as some other Super Bowl contenders, at least not as of March 17th.
The Free Agent & Draft Options
Via the draft, Minnesota could draft a cornerback in five weeks. Rookies like Trey Amos (Ole Miss), Jahdae Barron (Texas), Maxwell Hairston (Kentucky), Benjamin Morrison (Notre Dame), Shavon Revel Jr. (East Carolina), and Azareye’h Thomas (Florida State) should be available.
From free agency, the list of better-than-Rodgers commodities has substantially dwindled. The group looks like this at the moment:
- Asante Samuel Jr.
- Mike Hilton
- Rasul Douglas
- Stephon Gilmore (again)
- Shaquill Griffin (again)
In somewhat related news, Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling tweeted Tuesday, “The Vikings are hosting cornerback Jeff Okudah on a free agent visit today. The third overall pick in the 2020 draft, Okudah has had stops in Atlanta and Houston since the Lions drafted him. He’s coming off a hip injury that cost him nine games last year.”
So, Okudah could be in play, but most don’t think he’ll morph into a baller after five seasons of bust-worthy performance.
On the whole, it’s true that Minnesota doesn’t have any emergency roster needs, but cornerback earlier rather than later in the draft checks out.
Think of it this way: what happens if Murphy Jr. tore his ACL this summer like Blackmon in 2024? Then what?
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 MIN 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.
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