The Minnesota Vikings will be looking to replenish their cupboard of cornerbacks after it was greatly depleted in free agency this offseason.
The Vikings have chosen not to sign a free agent so far and will be using the Draft to upgrade their overall depth. While they are assuredly going to address this need on the first or second days of the NFL Draft, they also have multiple picks on Day 3 that they can use to find some hidden gems.
Here are four cornerbacks the Vikings could draft on the third day of the 2020 NFL Draft:
A.J. Green, Oklahoma state
Green is a corner who should end up coming off the board early on Day 3 of the NFL Draft. The reason why he’ll fall is that he lacks speed. Green ran a very pedestrian 4.62 40-yard dash at the Combine, and that brings up many concerns about his recovery speed and overall ability to stick with a speedy receiver who is charging down the field.
Despite his lack of wheels, Green does have many positive attributes.
The first is his size. He’s 6-foot-1 and a little over 200 pounds. At that size, not many wide receivers will physically outmatch him. Green is a fluid mover and breaks on the ball quickly. He also shows great patience, letting the route develop before breaking on the ball. He isn’t afraid to come up and support the run, and while he doesn’t always wrap up, he does lower his shoulder and lay punishing hits when he’s on target.
Another positive that Green has going for him is his overall experience. He started for three seasons at Oklahoma State playing in a conference where teams live and die by throwing the football. His career numbers are impressive with 147 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, six interceptions and 21 pass breakups.
With his size, experience and smarts, Green is definitely worth a pick in the fifth round or so.
Lamar Jackson, Nebraska
Jackson is another cornerback the Vikings should be interested in on the third day of the draft, and his size is a big reason why.
Jackson is 6-foot-2 and 208 pounds with arms that go on forever. That puts him right in the size range that Mike Zimmer loves in his cover men. Jackson is physical in coverage and loves to get his hands on the receiver the minute the ball is snapped. While he is by no means a speedster, he does possess very good overall athletic ability and can close quickly once he turns his hips.
Jackson has proven to be an effective blitzer off the edge, using those long arms to wrap up the quarterback. His ball skills have improved over the course of his career, as he has totaled five picks in his last two seasons alone.
While there is a lot to love about Jackson, there are quite a few drawbacks.
He is a bit slow to react to a lot of plays and becomes a bit heavy-footed as he decides where the play is going. He is also seen as an outside corner and doesn’t possess the overall athleticism to move to the slot or convert to safety.
Jackson also isn’t the beast in run support that many would figure he would be with his intimidating size. While Jackson has a lot of work to do before he’s ready to see an abundance of snaps in the NFL, there are plenty of raw tools for the cornerback whisperer Zimmer to work with.
dane Jackson, Pittsburgh
Jackson is a guy who put his name on the map at the Senior Bowl. He held his own in 1-on-1 drills and won more reps than he lost.
He also played well in the team portions of practice and with his footwork and ability to make a play on the ball, many scouts left Mobile saying he was the best cornerback in attendance.
His stock has cooled off a bit since then, but there is a lot to like about this young cornerback.
He was a former quarterback in high school who often ran the ball, so he clearly has elite athletic ability. When watching film on him, his fluidity really sticks out. Jackson is a smooth mover who just glides across the field. He can close on a ball carrier quickly and will lower his shoulder and make a nice clean hit.
He’s only 6-feet but has long arms that give him an advantage when going up to swat away a pass. Jackson has good overall route recognition and doesn’t lack any confidence. He also is a versatile cover corner who can play outside or in the slot.
There are some concerns that’ll cause him to tumble to the third day of the draft.
While he does have adequate size, he’s a little on the light side at 187 pounds. There are also questions about his long speed as he ran a 4.57 at the combine and a player that size needs to be faster. Jackson also isn’t physical enough at the point of release, instead opting to get handsy with a receiver mid-route. This could lead to a lot of penalties early in his career until he cleans up his technique.
Jackson could go anywhere from Rounds 4-6 and could provide a quicker return on a Day 3 investment than other corners on this list.
Stanford samuels iii, Florida state
When scouts talk about Samuels, the word “tweener” is floated around a lot. That can be a blessing and a curse.
While it’s nice to have the frame and playing style to have a future at multiple positions, it also can signify that teams really don’t know where to play a guy. This can often lead to a fall on draft day.
Samuels is a high-cut corner with great overall size. He measured 6-foot-1 and 187 pounds at the combine, but also ran a disappointing 4.65 40-yard dash.
In addition to his speed being a concern, teams are also wary of how willing he was to give up underneath completions. While he’s not afraid to come up and make a tackle, Samuels doesn’t possess the best technique. He is more of a striker who rarely wraps his arms around ball carriers.
Samuels does show good ball instincts. He is a bit of a gambler but more often than not, gets himself in position to make a play on the football.
He isn’t the strongest run defender in this class, but once he diagnoses where a play is going, he doesn’t hesitate and will fly in to make a play. Samuels definitely needs work on his overall technique, but with his ability to convert to safety, he could be an attractive option late in the draft for the Vikings.
