What Are the Vikings Options At Cornerback?
Credit: Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports
It’s difficult to fathom the adversity the Minnesota Vikings have already endured at cornerback. The team bolstered their cornerback position this spring by adding Shaquill Griffin and Khyree Jackson. Those additions were nullified by the beginning of August with the Vikings losing two cornerbacks. Mekhi Blackmon tore his ACL and is out for the remainder of the season, a devastating blow that still pales in comparison to the tragic death of, Jackson who died in a car accident in his home state of Maryland on July 6th.
Several members of the Vikings attended Jackson’s funeral on Friday, including head coach Kevin O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. But while the grieving process continues, so does training camp. Saturday marked the first practice with the national media and fans in attendance for Back Together Saturday. It’s an annual tradition that features non-stop coverage of NFL Network correspondents interviewing coaches, players, and local media members across the league as training camp officially kicks off.
Despite all of the commotion that comes with the start of camp, O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah understand that more work needs to be done with this roster. Obviously, the biggest area of need is the cornerback position, where the Vikings are back to square one with Akayleb Evans and Andrew Booth vying for playing time. It feels like 2023 all over again, which is not a good thing, considering that Evans was inconsistent as a starter while Booth was a non-factor. To prevent that, the Vikings are already busy, making depth signings.
Duke Shelley – who was an unexpected fan favorite in 2022, is returning on a one-year deal. In his lone season starting for the Vikings, Shelley deflected eight passes and snagged an interception through 11 games, boasting a PFF grade of 81.5, which ranked fifth amongst all cornerbacks in the league. Minnesota also added former Houston Texans corner Jacobi Francis, who played two seasons there after signing as a UDFA in 2022. Francis has yet to start a game in his young career, and is essentially a camp body.
O’Connell knows that those two signings aren’t enough. “There could be some impact players out there that might be interested in joining our team.” O’Connell said on Saturday. “That’s what Kwesi and his staff are working through right now.” Some interesting names are still available in free agency. We’ve got our eyes on Stephon Gilmore, J.C. Jackson, and Patrick Peterson as potential free agent targets for these Vikings.
Let’s start with Gilmore, who’s arguably the best available player at his position. Although he’s no longer the shutdown corner he was in his heyday, Gilmore was still a respectable starting cornerback last season. In 2023, Stephon’s PFF grades were solid across the board. He finished the season with a coverage grade of 72.3, a run defense grade of 76.1, and an overall grade of 74.4.
Gilmore also has experience playing in Brian Flores’ defense, stemming from their time with the New England Patriots. In the “Con” column is that he’s oft-injured and turns 34 in September. Still, he can be a productive player if the Vikings end up signing him.
Jackson’s appeal stems primarily from the fact that he’s only 28 years old, and like Gilmore, also has experience playing for Brian Flores in New England. The issue is, Jackson hasn’t played very well as of late. After an All-Pro campaign in 2021, he signed a five-year, $82.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Chargers, where his production fell off a cliff, largely due to injuries.
To be fair, some speculate that Jackson’s regression was due to Brandon Staley’s zone-heavy defense being drastically different from the press-man defense he was accustomed to. Presumably, Flores would know how to use him to his strengths. If Minnesota is looking for a high-risk, high-reward cornerback for cheap, then Jackson could be their guy.
Peterson could make the most sense if the Vikings are looking for a highly accomplished and affordable veteran. Peterson asserted himself as a reliable starter and respected voice in the locker room during his two-year stint with the Vikings. However, he couldn’t replicate the same level of success with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. Peterson also has no experience playing under Brian Flores. That being said, the Vikings signed Shelley despite having never played in a Flores-led defense, so maybe they’d be willing to bring Peterson back as well.
Regardless of who they sign, the Vikings cannot afford to start the season with worse cornerback depth than last year. They can’t have such little turnover while expecting different results, even if that lack of turnover was completely unforeseen.
In 2023, Minnesota ranked 24th in passing yards allowed and dead-last in completions against. If this team wants to be competitive this year, they must adequately address the cornerback position. Fortunately, it seems that O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah understand this, and they are actively scouring the free agent market for viable starting options to bolster their secondary.
Up Next