The Minnesota Vikings have a drastic change in the cornerback room from last season. They sat back as their top 3 corners from last season all sign with other teams during free agency. That meant they were all in on the guys left on their roster and the players they eventually ended up drafting.
Xavier Rhodes signed with the Indianapolis Colts while Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander both signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. Rhodes was once a top corner in the NFL. Waynes and Alexander were both very good at the respective positions,
This change has many people concerned about the Vikings secondary. Despite losing their three best corners, Vikings fans should not be overly concerned. There are reasons to be optimistic about the new group heading into the season.
The Vikings’ new cornerback group consists of Mike Hughes, Jeff Gladney, Cameron Dantzler, Holton Hill, Kris Boyd, Harrison Hand, Mark Fields, Nate Meadors, and Nevelle Clark. It is a very young and inexperienced group. That is normally worrisome but Mike Zimmer is the perfect coach for this challenge.
Mike Zimmer has a history of coaching up defensive backs and helping them blossom at the NFL level. He has some great talent to do that with right now. He helped general manager Rick Spielman pick many of these players.
In addition to that, the Vikings have arguably the best safety duo in the NFL. Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris are two of the best at the positions. That will allow the young corners to play with confidence and know they will have help over the top. Smith is also great at making sure the defense is lined up properly and adjustments are made as necessary.
Based on reps in camp, it is looking like the week 1 starters are going to be Hughes and Gladney. Expect this to be a battle all season. Dantzler has been making plays all throughout training camp. Hill and Boyd are both capable or working there way into the mix as a starter as well.
As long as Hughes is healthy he will be a reliable number one option. The Vikings drafted him high for a reason. When healthy he has shown promise and why he was a first-round pick back in 2018. Gladney was also a first-round pick Zimmer was high on. With a little technique work, Zimmer should have him a viable number two corner in no time.
My favorite out of the bunch is Dantzler. He is tall and plays with an edge. He could end up being the steal of the draft. If he lives up to the early training camp hype, that will make this rebuild of the Vikings cornerback room finish a lot sooner than anticipated. Either way, it will be fun to watch the young group grow and learn under Mike Zimmer.