Once again, the Minnesota Vikings need a young cornerback to bolster their struggling defense. The Vikings were 22nd in passing touchdowns allowed and 28th in passing yards allowed last year. Mike Zimmer notoriously loved cornerbacks, so it’s almost ironic that Minnesota’s secondary had a historically bad season in his last season as the head coach.
The Vikings can fix this problem by drafting Auburn’s Roger McCreary, a first-team all-SEC and All-American cornerback. McCreary solidified himself as a first-round pick after Auburn’s 24-22 quadruple-overtime loss against Alabama in the Iron Bowl. McCreary locked up the likes of Jameson Williams and John Metchie, both NFL prospects likely to go early in the 2022 draft. (To be fair, Williams missed about half the game.) In total, McCreary broke up four passes and made seven tackles against one of the nation’s most electric offenses.
McCreary excels at man coverage. When receivers run their routes, you would think McCreary is their shadow with how well he mirrors them. Additionally, he is stellar at press coverage. PFF graded him as the best cornerback in college football when pressing. Skills like this will endear him to Minnesota’s coaching staff, given how pass-heavy the NFC North is gearing up to be.
Not only did McCreary lead all college football cornerbacks while pressing, but he also led college football in many meaningful ways this last season. McCreary had the most forced incompletions in the FBS this year with 20. PFF also rated him as the best overall cornerback in the FBS with an unreal 89.9 grade.
These stats are no joke, especially when you realize the elite competition he was playing against in the SEC.
McCreary was a stud last year. As an Auburn fan, I have gotten the opportunity to watch every game McCreary has played, and he improved in every game. He saved his best for last against Alabama. But don’t let Alabama’s game-winning touchdown that McCreary gave up define him as a player or overshadow one of the best cornerback seasons and careers we have ever seen in college football.
McCreary is athletic enough to line him up anywhere on the field. Coming in at 6’0”, 190 lbs., he has a perfect build for an NFL cornerback. He has lined up all over the defense throughout his career at Auburn and excelled almost everywhere.
Don’t let his size deceive you either. McCreary is extremely physical in coverage and the run game. He is not afraid of taking hits or popping a running back in the backfield.
Though it was called back due to a block in the back, check out this pick-six from the 2020 season.
How will McCreary fit into Minnesota’s defense? McCreary should be versatile enough to work in almost any NFL defensive coordinator’s scheme. Though he played most of his Auburn career on the outside, he has the speed and build to be perfect for covering the slot. Additionally, if he were matched up against one of these new-age tight ends, he would likely excel due to his physicality and speed.
Though McCreary fits the standard NFL cornerback build almost perfectly, his length and short strides have concerned some draft scouts. I don’t believe this will be a huge problem due to his overall speed. However, changing his strides would be a huge improvement and would help him adapt to the technical aspects of the NFL.
Cornerback is arguably Minnesota’s biggest need this offseason. Given that the Vikings have roughly $10 million in cap space, drafting a cornerback would be preferable to signing a free agent. Sitting at pick No. 12 this year, Minnesota will be at the perfect place to draft McCreary to bolster their struggling secondary.
