New Vikings Cornerback Reddy Steward Has Mr. TCO Potential
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
We are only a week removed from the bitter end of the Minnesota Vikings season, and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has already made moves well ahead of free agency. The Vikings’ first new addition of the 2025 offseason is cornerback Reddy Steward. Chances are you’ve never heard of Steward until now, so here’s a quick rundown on him and why he could be an important player for Minnesota moving forward.
Steward, 23, is a 5-foot-11, 180-pound corner who played in one game for the Chicago Bears last season, which means he has virtually no professional experience. However, it’s worth noting that in the lone game he appeared in against the Arizona Cardinals, he came away with a forced fumble. Steward was buried on the Bears’ depth chart behind three talented young corners in Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, and Tyrique Stevenson.
Nevertheless, Bears fans were not happy when it was announced that Reddy Steward would be signing with the Vikings. The announcement’s most liked reply was a GIF of Lewis Saunderson dressed in a police uniform screaming at the sky. Another Bears fan on social media bemoaned the fact that Stevenson somehow kept starting after Stevenson’s infamous blown coverage on Jayden Daniels’ game-winning hail mary pass to Noah Brown. This much commotion over an inexperienced depth cornerback signing with a division rival may seem strange at first, but Steward is a solid player who is an early favorite to be Mr. TCO in training camp.
Best video you’ll see today.
Tyrique Stevenson is trolling fans after the snap of the Hail Mary. Barely realizes the play started. Then tips the ball to Noah Brown.
What’s the saying? Karma is a? (Video via @joe_abdo). pic.twitter.com/1FxRiDDMpy
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) October 28, 2024
Steward was highly coveted, with nearly half of all NFL teams reportedly showing interest in the second-year cornerback, according to Joshua Grady who represents Steward. What makes Steward stand out from similar UDFA-caliber cornerbacks is his ball production from his collegiate career with the Troy Trojans. In his last two seasons at Troy, Steward tallied 22 passes defended and seven interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. Coming into the 2024 NFL Draft, Steward had the second-highest overall Pro Football Focus Grade amongst draft-eligible cornerbacks.
The Draft Network’s Justin Melo interviewed Steward ahead of last year’s draft, asking him what attributes led to his standout production at Troy. “The main thing that led to that ball production was me watching film.” Steward said. “I have great study habits when it comes to watching game tape on my opponents. When I was a younger player, I didn’t see the film as well as I do now. It feels like I was just watching the game.”
Having great study habits doesn’t necessarily mean a player will end up with good instincts, but Steward is a natural at cornerback, playing the position with a high football IQ. Steward is at his best playing zone coverage, where he’s able to take full advantage of his ability to read the quarterback while quickly identifying different passing concepts. However, he also has enough fluidity in his backpedal and does a good job mirroring receivers despite his smaller stature, allowing Steward to hold his ground in man coverage, making him a scheme-versatile prospect.
The #Vikings signed former Bears CB Reddy Steward to a reserve/futures deal, per @AaronWilson_NFL.
UDFA out of Troy last year. Had two INTs in a preseason game and forced a fumble in one regular season appearance. Could have some sneaky upside. pic.twitter.com/ZCvxcB9KVF
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) January 15, 2025
Although Steward has experience playing at slot corner and on the outside, he played the vast majority of his snaps in college on the perimeter. Some scouts believe Steward projects better as a slot corner in the NFL due to his smaller stature, but there’s reason to believe he can contribute as an outside corner in the NFL. Steward reminds me a little bit of a poor man’s Mekhi Blackmon. Like Steward, Blackmon was an undersized outside corner who was praised for his steady college production and high football IQ coming out of USC.
Blackmon quickly earned a starting role in Brian Flores’ defense as a rookie, beating out former second-round pick Andrew Booth Jr. It would be ambitious to assume that Steward will earn a starting role, but he has the intangibles to be a valuable depth piece at cornerback. If he pans out, Steward can follow in the footsteps of Theo Jackson and Jalen Redmond, both sneaky-good pickups capable of becoming an important long-term contributor. It’s guys like that who tend to shine the brightest under the lights at TCO Performance Center, and you can expect to hear Steward’s name quite often this summer.
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