Mike Zimmer’s passion for cornerbacks became a meme during the end of his tenure with the Minnesota Vikings.
We know that Deion Sanders was one of his prized pupils, and we know the work that he put into Xavier Rhodes to make him one of the best corners in the NFL. We also know about the other reclamation projects he pulled off during his career that made him one of football’s most highly regarded defensive minds.
But with each corner selected in the first two days of the draft, Vikings fans wondered why he needed so many defensive backs.
It may have taken a few years, but Vikings fans may finally get their answer. Two days into training camp, the cornerback looks like the weakest link on Minnesota’s roster. While some of their struggles have been due to unfortunate circumstances, they also have to do with their philosophy, which has shifted with the new front office.
So why did Zimmer need all of those corners? Turns out it was a numbers game.
Zimmer believed that cornerbacks were important and one of the keys to his defense. He also knew that cornerbacks get banged up throughout the year.
While Rhodes stayed on the field long enough to become one of the NFL’s top corners in 2016 and 2017, he spent his final two years in Minnesota getting the blue tent experience. His secondary partner, Trae Waynes, was also no stranger to missing time due to injury, pushing some lesser-known corners to the top of the depth chart.
Mackensie Alexander followed Waynes’ path to playing time after the Vikings selected him in the second round of the 2016 draft. While many believed he was an outside corner, he didn’t become Minnesota’s nickel cornerback until Terence Newman’s retirement in 2018. Alexander became one of the top slot corners at his position that year and parlayed it into a free-agent deal with the Cincinnati Bengals after the 2019 season.
The Vikings took Mike Hughes in the first round of the 2018 draft. His selection upset Vikings fans who wanted Will Hernandez to fill their decade-long hole at guard — or Lamar Jackson to fill their even longer drought at quarterback. Still, Hughes showed signs of promise before suffering a multi-ligament knee injury the following October. The rest of his career was riddled with injuries, but he spent last season in a reserve role with the Atlanta Falcons.
When the Vikings let Rhodes and Waynes walk in free agency following the 2019 season, they attempted a youth movement by selecting Cameron Dantzler in the third round of the 2020 draft.
Dantzler immediately carved out a starting role but suffered many injuries. His inconsistent play on the field didn’t do him any favors, and he was one of the first cuts O’Connell made as a head coach during the spring of 2022.
With the young players struggling, the Vikings entered the free-agent market for help. Bashaud Breeland signed with Minnesota before the 2021 season. However, he remains more known for a vulgar tweet toward the fans and a mid-practice release than anything he did on the field.
Patrick Peterson became a surprise free-agent signing earlier that year and became one of the team’s defensive stalwarts in 2022. However, his age led to a decline in his performance, and he ended up leaving in free agency.
The new regime tried to fill some of that void with draft picks, but they attempted to do so with mid- to late-round draft selections. Akayleb Evans was selected in the fourth round of the 2022 draft and got off to a good start. However, concussions and a decline in performance could have placed him on the roster bubble entering camp.
Andrew Booth Jr. had even larger expectations after being selected with the 42nd-overall pick in the 2022 draft. Still, his injury history, which dates back to high school, carried over to the NFL, also placing him on the roster bubble entering camp.
With limited funds in free agency, the Vikings decided to lock up long-term pieces like Christian Darrisaw and Justin Jefferson and upgrade the pass rush by signing Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard, and Blake Cashman. However, they also bypassed the need for help, using their mid-round picks to trade up for J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner.
That isn’t to say the Vikings made bad moves throughout the offseason. However, considering what we know now, it was also perplexing that they didn’t do more to address the situation.
Again, some of these factors were out of their control. Khyree Jackson was slated to have a big opportunity in camp before his tragic death. Mekhi Blackmon’s torn ACL also took out a promising corner on the depth chart, leaving Minnesota paper-thin in the secondary.
Another reminder came when Shaquill Griffin momentarily went down with an injury during Thursday’s training camp session. Although the injury wasn’t severe, it reminds us how close Minnesota is to moving Byron Murphy Jr. to the outside or relying on Booth or Evans to pick up the slack.
Even if the Vikings dove into free agency, there isn’t a great solution. They signed Duke Shelley earlier this week, but the Las Vegas Raiders cut him in training camp, and he didn’t start any games for the Las Angeles Rams. Names like J.C. Jackson and Xavien Howard are also available in free agency. However, their age and off-the-field issues give fans the same “Member Berries” situation they have about the WR3 spot.
In many ways, Minnesota’s approach has forced them to ride it out in 2024. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores was looking to play more man coverage. However, he may have to scrap that approach while Minnesota shelves the competitive part of its rebuild.
Minnesota’s situation may also be attributed to an improved pass rush. The team blitzed at the highest clip in the league last season but had among the lowest pressure rates.
That puts the Vikings in the type of situation Zimmer was trying to avoid. With a dearth of cornerbacks, Minnesota could be entering a pass-happy league with the same aura as a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest. It’s not ideal and may force the Vikings to adapt their philosophy — even if nothing changes in 2025.
