The Vikings Came Close to Adding More CB Depth Prior to Week 11
Josh Frey
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One of the biggest surprises for this 2023 Vikings team has been the production of their secondary.
Players like Camryn Bynum and Josh Metellus have shone out at the safety spot while Akayleb Evans has emerged as a quality starter at cornerback. Still, even with the success, it is always a good idea to find ways to improve depth at all positions. This week, the Vikings came close to adding more CB depth through the waiver wire.
The Vikings Came Close to Adding More CB Depth
That CB was Jack Jones, who the Patriots waived on Monday. Ultimately, Jones was claimed by the Las Vegas Raiders off waivers, but the Vikings also seemed very interested in the cornerback.
Field Yates of ESPN tweeted the following after Las Vegas claimed Jones, “The Vikings joined the Raiders in putting a claim in on CB Jack Jones, per source. The Raiders had higher priority in the waiver order and land the former Patriot in their secondary.”
Jones was selected by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and during his short career in New England, the cornerback played in 18 games and made two starts. In all, he recorded 42 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 7 passes defended, 2 interceptions, and a forced fumble.
As suggested by the statistics, Jones has actually been a pretty productive cornerback with his limited chances. However, off-the-field problems have plagued the young player. He was arrested in June for having guns and ammo in a carry-on bag and has been on a short leash with Bill Belichick all season despite having the charges dropped prior to the start of the season.
Because of this, Jones has played just five games this season and has not made a start for the Patriots in 2023. The hope for the young cornerback is that a new situation and change of scenery will rejuvenate his career after a strong rookie season.
There is a lot of potential around this young player if he can get his career back on track. Last season, Jones was given PFF’s second-highest coverage grade among all rookie CBs, grading out at 76.0 in that department. He came in behind only Sauce Gardner, who had a ridiculous 90.0 grade and could do no wrong last year.
In the end, though, the Vikings were unable to land Jones due to their decreased priority in the waiver wire. It would have been an interesting fit with the other young CBs in Minnesota’s secondary, but instead, Jones heads to the Raiders and joins Marcus Peters, Nate Hobbs, Jakorian Bennett, Amik Robertson, and Tyler Hall on the 53-man roster.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.