Former Vikings Corner – A 1st-Round Pick – Finds a New Team
K. Joudry
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Mike Hughes began his Vikings career in perhaps the best possible manner. The former Vikings corner got eased into the lineup in Week 1, but he made the most of his chances by snagging an interception that he returned for a touchdown.
Since that initial high, though, there has been a lot of struggle.
Things didn’t work out in Minnesota for Hughes, but he’s getting another opportunity. He’s expected to sign with the Atlanta Falcons, an ascending NFC team.
Ian Rapoport has the word, noting that Hughes is “expected to sign” in Atlanta. In other words, the deal isn’t 100% official but is trending toward being actualized very soon. Once he puts pen to paper, Hughes will have joined his 4th NFL team since arriving to the NFL in 2018.
Mike Hughes, Former Vikings Corner, Gets a Fresh Start
Coincidentally, Hughes’ first game was also Kirk Cousins’ first game for the Purple & Gold. Minnesota walked away with the win, sparking optimism that the 2018 season could build off the NFC Championship appearance from the prior year. Unfortunately, the year quickly brought hardship, and part of that involved seeing Hughes succumb to injury.
After 6 games, Mike Hughes was forced to watch the remainder of the season from the sideline due to injury. He’d go on to play a couple more seasons in Minnesota, but he struggled to stay on the field with consistency.
The 2020 season marked a firm transition for the Vikings’ defense. Gone were long-time stalwarts like Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes at corner. The plan (hope) was that Hughes and Holton Hill would be capable of being the team’s top CB pairing. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long before the plan sputtered. Hughes only played in 4 games – starting 2 – while Hill mirrored his corner counterpart.
Since that time, Hughes has bounced around the NFL. He played for the Chiefs in 2021 and joined the Lions for 2022. In fact, Hughes was covering K.J. Osborn early in the 2022 season when the young wideout broke loose to score the game-winning touchdown:
Hughes played in 16 games for Detroit last season, starting 6. He had 51 tackles and a single PD, though he did add on 3 TFLs and 2 QB hits. PFF gives him excellent grades for his run defense and pass rushing, but he receivers very poor grades for his coverage. QBs completed more than 73% of passes into his coverage and each reception went for an average of 12.9 yards.
By the end of the year, he had 268 snaps out wide, 220 in the slot, 56 in the box, 6 at free safety, and 11 along the DL. The versatility, physicality, youth, and status as a former 1st-rounder combine to allow Hughes to keep getting chances. He was someone to monitor for Minnesota’s slot corner opening, but Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will need to look elsewhere if he wants so bring someone in.
In many ways, Hughes’ career has been one of disappointment. Hopefully, the 26-year-old former Vikings corner can find a lasting home in Atlanta.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
