The Minnesota Vikings’ most glaring weakness headed into the 2022 draft is outside the hashes in the secondary. Vikings ownership has made it clear to the organization that they intend to be competitive in 2022. That means fixing the massive hole at cornerback, especially with the possibility of veteran Patrick Peterson leaving in free agency.
The Vikings have a chance to get one of the top two corners in the draft, either Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner (Cincinnati) or Derek Stingley Jr. (LSU). Both players would immediately upgrade the position and have a high upside.
Drafting a corner may sound bittersweet to most Vikings fans. The previous front office had consistently missed on first-round cornerbacks, including Jeff Gladney in 2020, Mike Hughes in 2018, and some would say Trae Waynes in 2015. But none of those guys were nearly as heralded as these two prospects. While the Vikings have yet to replace the outside presence they had when Xavier Rhodes was headlining the league’s best defense, Minnesota has every opportunity to do so in this year’s draft.
In 2022, the Vikings will match up with some of the league’s best passing offenses, including the Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, and Buffalo Bills — not to mention Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams being in the division again. Suppose the images of Stefon Diggs, CeeDee Lamb, and DeAndre Hopkins torching Minnesota’s depleted secondary aren’t enough for you to prioritize a top corner in the draft. In that case, these numbers may sway you.
In 2021 the Vikings had abysmal cornerback play. Pro Football Focus placed Minnesota’s secondary as the 25th best in the NFL. Not a fan of PFF rankings? Let’s look at other statistics. Last season, the Viking’s defense had the third-most yards allowed, and the secondary is largely to blame. They finished 22nd in passing touchdowns allowed, 28th in passing yards allowed, and 25th in yards per pass allowed. Minnesota gave up a staggering 1,802 yards on outside alignments (corners). If the Vikings fail to make significant improvement, their secondary, and therefore their defense, could end up at the bottom of the league again.
Gardner allowed zero touchdowns in his college career at Cincinnati, and many believe he is the best corner in the draft. Stingley Jr. didn’t play much in 2021 and had a down season in 2020, but he had arguably the best freshman corner season we’ve ever seen in 2019, so the generationally high talent and ceiling are there.
If the Vikings don’t improve at cornerback, it could be fatal against the NFC North. The Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, and Detroit Lions may be looking to add offensive firepower for next season.
- The Packers could have one of the deadliest passing attacks next season, with the reigning MVP returning alongside All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams.
- The Bears could add receivers through the draft and free agency to give Justin Fields some weapons outside of an excellent young receiving core in Darnell Mooney and Cole Kmet. Things would only worsen if they found a way to re-sign Allen Robinson.
- Similarly, the Lions have a large incentive to land more receiving weapons. Rookie wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown made a splash in 2021 with 90 catches and over 900 yards. So did T.J. Hockenson, who established himself as one of the league’s top tight ends last season. Detroit’s front office will be looking to give Goff another receiver to improve the passing attack in the mid to late rounds of the draft and free agency.
I’m sure many fans are pessimistic about either of these players being available to the Vikings at pick No. 12. However, most expert mock drafts suggest that at least one of them will fall to Minnesota.
- Mel Kiper has the Vikings selecting Derek Stingley Jr. at 12 in his latest mock draft.
- Vinnie Iyers expects Gardner to fall past the 12th pick.
- Daniel Jerimiah also has Derek Stingley Jr. available to us at 12.
- Todd McShay is one of the few experts’ mock drafts that suggest the Vikings need to trade up for one of these players.
If Vikings management agrees, fear not. Minnesota’s 2022 draft capital allows for moving up three to four slots to grab one of these guys. With eight total draft picks, mostly in the later rounds, the Vikings could strike a deal with one of the teams ahead to move up.
If the hype is real and Gardner and Stingley are absolute studs, snagging one of them in the draft would fill a large missing piece on defense. Securing a corner in the draft may allow the Vikings to contend in 2022.
