The Minnesota Vikings have to add some cornerbacks to their depth chart in the upcoming NFL Draft.
After cutting Xavier Rhodes, and losing both Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander in free agency, the team finds themselves very thin at the position. This is an area they are likely to address more than once. The Vikings have three picks on the draft’s second day, and there’s a very high probability that one is used on a cornerback.
Here are four cornerbacks they could consider on Day 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft:
Noah igbinoghene, Auburn
If the Vikings don’t take a cornerback in Roud 1 and wait all the way until pick 58 to address the position, the best they could hope to see on the board could be this Auburn product. Igbinoghene is a cornerback whose best football is still ahead of him. He is raw, as he’s only been playing corner since 2018.
He was recruited to Auburn as a wide receiver and actually played that position for the Tigers his first season before getting moved to cornerback full time.
Igbinoghene has average size at 5-foot-10 and 198 pounds. He’s extremely physical in coverage and doesn’t give the man he’s covering any breathing room. Igbinoghene is very willing in run support and isn’t afraid to come up and lay a hit.
Being relatively new to the position does bring some drawbacks. He’s a little slow to diagnose what a receiver is going to do coming out of his breaks, but his route recognition skills will improve with more reps and NFL coaching. This guy is truly a raw piece of clay who Mike Zimmer can mold into a player that fits his system.
Where Igbinoghene is going to make noise as a rookie is as a kick returner. He is a dynamite return man who uses his extreme athletic ability to make guys miss and then turn on his jets to take it to the house.
He returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in his Auburn career and totaled 1,199 return yards with his average return being 27.3 yards. Igbinoghene also has proven to be a solid gunner on kickoffs, using that same reckless nature he shows in run support to fly down the field making the hit, or downing the punt.
The Vikings need to find a returner and getting a guy who can fill that role while providing cornerback depth and competition would be a huge score in the second round.
Damon arnette, Ohio STATE
When thinking about Arnette one word comes to mind: experience. He has played in 45 games for the Buckeyes in his four-year career and started the majority of them.
Playing in the Big Ten, he often went up against some of the best wide receivers in college football. His career numbers are impressive with 140 total tackles, four tackles for a loss, five interceptions and 22 pass breakups. Arnette possesses ideal size standing 6-feet and 195 pounds. He does lack overall speed but makes up for it with his smarts and awareness.
Arnette is one physical dude. He gets his hands all over his receiver from the minute the ball is snapped. He’s probably a little too grabby if anything, and that could cause him to get flagged often in the NFL if he doesn’t clean up his technique a bit.
One of Arnette’s biggest strengths are his ball skills. While he doesn’t have a ton of career interceptions, he anticipates where the ball is going to go and has excellent timing on when to make a play on it. He gets his body between the ball and the intended target and uses his long arms to swat away passes.
Arnette is a prospect who could sneak into the end of Round 1 but should go sometime in Round 2. With his size, smarts, and length he could be an ideal fit in Zimmer’s secondary. He could even push Mike Hughes and Holton Hill for a starting job right out of the gate if he proves to be a quick learner.
Amik Robertson, Louisiana Tech
Robertson is a fun guy to watch on tape.
He isn’t the biggest guy out there; in fact, he’s probably the smallest. He’s only 5-foot-8 and 187 pounds soaking wet, but he plays so much bigger. Robertson just brings so much energy and tenacity to the football field. He definitely has that Little Man syndrome and isn’t afraid to go against a receiver who has a six-inch height advantage on him.
Roberston is extremely physical. He will make plenty of contact with the man he’s covering, but still shows solid footwork and can anticipate where a receiver is going with his route. Robertson has a knack for making a play on the ball when it’s in the air and knows exactly when to break on it. He shows no fear in run support, flying in at full speed and lowering his shoulder making big hits on ball carriers.
Robertson’s career production is very impressive. He’s totaled 184 tackles, 23 tackles for a loss, four sacks, 14 interceptions, 34 pass breakups and three touchdowns. Many see him as the next Tyrann Mathieu, and that is a comparison that makes a lot of sense, as he’s a tenacious playmaker who can change a game.
Robertson isn’t the prototypical Zimmer corner, as he lacks size and length. However, the team would be foolish to pass on him just because of his size. He is someone who can make plays in the secondary that determine the outcome of ball games and would be well worth a selection in the third round.
cameron dantzler, Mississippi State
Dantzler is a prospect who could fall all the way to Round 3 of the draft this year.
The reason why is because of his extremely slow time at the combine. Dantzler ran a 4.64 40-yard dash in front of all the coaches and scouts in Indianapolis. That time raised questions about his recovery speed and ability to stay stride for stride with a receiver blazing down the field.
Dantzler did take part in an at-home pro day recently and supposedly improved that time to a 4.38. That kind of jump is pretty much unheard of, and scouts are going to go with the time they saw first hand at the combine, instead of a number that was surely helped from some home cooking.
Despite his lack of speed, Dantzler does have plenty of positives. He’s got great height at 6-foot-2, though he is a little on the skinny side at 188 pounds, but could add some muscle in the Vikings’ workout program. Dantzler does a good job of getting his body between the receiver and the ball, and more often than not, is able to make a play on it.
He has shown the ability to be an effective blitzer and uses those long arms of his to fend off blockers on his path to the quarterback. Dantzler has posted solid numbers in his three years with the Bulldogs. He’s totaled 108 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, five interceptions and 20 pass breakups.
He’s someone who would come in and compete for playing time as a rookie and be a solid special teamer.
