The Duke Shelley Picture That’s Worth 1,000 Words
K. Joudry
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Minnesota faces an uncertain future at corner. Duke Shelley faces an uncertain future in Minnesota. Might the two help quell some of this mutual uncertainty, reuniting to help lift the Vikings’ defense out of the quicksand they’ve been sinking in during recent years?
For the most part, Vikings fans (and likely even the coaches) didn’t foresee Shelley’s strong season. A 2019 sixth-round selection, Shelley played sparingly for the Bears in his initial few years in the NFL. Before coming to Minnesota, he only had 6 starts on his resume.
In his single season with the Vikings, though, Shelley almost doubled that number, starting 5 games. He had 31 tackles, 8 PDs, and his first career interception. Making it even sweeter was that it came against the Bears in Chicago.
The Duke Shelley Photo
Take a look at the photo in question. It’s a great image of Shelley snagging the interception:
Two players are locked in a heated battle for a coveted object: the football. Both offensive and defensive coaches teach their guys that the game is all about the ball. It’s hard to accomplish very much if the other side has it, so getting (and maintaining) possession is vitally important.
Adding to the intrigue of the picture is that the Vikings are squaring off with a division rival, a team that always finds a way to play Minnesota tough. When we remember that the Bears used to employ Duke Shelley, things become even more interesting. Nothing quite like proving a team wrong by marching into your former stadium and walking away with both a “W” and an INT in your back pocket.
Furthermore, we mustn’t overlook the size discrepancy between the two players. Chase Claypool is huge for a receiver, coming in at an impressive 6’4″, 238 pounds. In other words, the Canadian is built more like a linebacker or tight end than he is a receiver.
Shelley – who is 5’9″, 176 pounds – didn’t back down. Even better, he actually won the rep, stealing the ball away from his former team.
Just consider the receivers and tight ends included in the above video. We see Tyler Conklin (6’3″, 248 pounds), Michael Pittman (6’0″, 218 pounds), Isaiah Hodgins (6’4″, 210 pounds), Dawson Knox (6’4″, 254 pounds), and Christian Watson (6’5″, 200 pounds), among others. And, of course, there is the clip with Claypool at the end. Each one of them is huge, and yet Shelley found success against them all.
The photo with Shelley wrestling the ball away from Claypool’s grasp perfectly underscores what made the 26-year-old corner successful in 2022: a relentless compete and physicality.
Brian Flores will demand tough, physical, competitive coverage from his corners. During his opening press conference, the new DC confirmed that he was “aggressive by nature.” Expect the players to mirror their DC, adopting an approach that looks considerably different from the 2022 season.
Playing corner isn’t for the faint of heart. Playing in the Flores defense isn’t for the faint of heart. Shelley has shown that he’s far from passive. On the contrary, the undersized corner has a ton of scrappiness and compete, qualities that are a prerequisite for success in the NFL at one of the game’s most prominent positions.
Since he has only played on his rookie contract and then on his modest deal with the Vikings, Duke Shelley is likely looking for a hefty raise. And, to be sure, he has earned one. He finished the year as the 4th corner overall on PFF. A mere 45.7% of passes into his coverage were completed, a number that looks even more remarkable when we remember that he did this while playing within Minnesota’s leaky sieve of a defense.
Given the relatively short amount of playing experience in the NFL, Shelley won’t reset the market at the corner position. What he can likely expect, though, is a deal that responds to his great play in 2022. The Vikings know better than anyone what he brings to the table, so it won’t be at all surprising to see him play a meaningful role in the Brian Flores defense.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
