At the start of the offseason, the Minnesota Vikings had a clear priority: to address the cornerback position. They released Cam Dantzler and allowed Patrick Peterson to leave in free agency. Even after signing Byron Murphy Jr., the Vikings still needs additional players in the cornerback room
Fortunately, the upcoming NFL Draft has one of the deepest cornerback classes in recent memory. Let’s take a look at some potential fits for the Vikings at the cornerback position in every round of the draft.
Round 1: Maryland’s Deonte Banks
Banks is a physical and fluid corner, who perfectly fits the style of play of the new defensive coordinator Brian Flores. He smoothly mirrors wide receivers and has shown the ability to shut down the opposing team’s top receiver. Banks’ play style is exactly what the team needs. His skill set is something the Vikings have lacked since Xavier Rhodes.
Round 2: South Carolina’s Cam Smith
Smith plays as a patient cover corner with a physical and confident style. He primarily operates as an outside cornerback, which suits the Vikings’ needs. During his college career, Smith consistently demonstrated his ability to make plays on the ball, resulting in numerous pass breakups. He would make a solid day-two pick with potential.
Round 3: Utah’s Clark Phillips III
Phillips III consistently plays bigger than his size despite being a smaller cornerback. He is a very aggressive player and has shown a willingness to tackle. While he didn’t test well in the NFL Combine, his tape at Utah presents a different story. If a team drafts Phillips III, they’ll acquire an undersized yet physically imposing corner with potential.
Round 4: South Carolina’s Darius Rush
Rush has excellent size and length, but he often remained in the shadow of his teammate Cam Smith. He also possesses impressive speed and exceptional abilities in tracking the ball. His skills may be a bit unpolished, Rush has the opportunity to evolve into starting cornerback in the future.
Round 5: Purdue’s Cory Trice Jr.
Trice Jr. has good speed and quickness for being a bigger cornerback. He displays a physical attitude in coverage, but he is a little raw. Trice doesn’t have the smoothest hips, which can leave him to be a little clunky in his change of direction. Trice’s size and athletic ability make him an intriguing developmental cornerback for day three.
Round 6: LSU’s Mekhi Garner
Garner is a physical and experienced corner who is a willing tackler. He excels more in zone coverage but has also shown ability in man coverage. Garner has decent size, but he lacks consistency in long speed and technique. Teams that draft him will need to coach Garner up. He is likely to become a special teams player who could turn into a backup corner if he reaches his ceiling.
Round 7: Minnesota’s Terell Smith
During his time in Minnesota, Smith demonstrated flashes of natural ability and instincts for a corner. He possesses decent size and speed and shows a willingness to tackle. Smith’s technique is still a bit raw, and he will require coaching at the next level to refine his skills. Teams searching for a player with potential could select Smith in the later rounds of day three.
