The Vikings Have a Dastardly, Glaring, Confounding Need on Defense
Who is going to play slot corner for the Vikings in 2023? Right now, there isn’t a great answer.
Andrew Booth Jr., Akayleb Evans, and Cameron Dantzler have all demonstrated some positive abilities in their young careers. None of them, though, have proven capable of living in the slot.
Dantzler easily has the most experience of the trio given that he’s entering Year 4 rather than Year 2, but that doesn’t solve our conundrum. Last season, Dantzler had 473 snaps out wide and 31 in the box. He got shutout in the slot.
For better or worse, Chandon Sullivan was the slot solution in 2022. At various points, the former Packer struggled. He finished the year having allowed 70.8% of passes into his coverage to be completed with each completion going for an average of 12.5 yards. QBs had a collective 102.7 passer rating when targeting him; he finished as the 96th-ranked corner on PFF.
Sullivan, in short, wasn’t a great option. He has mostly been an afterthought in the assessments of Minnesota’s roster heading into free agency, suggesting he’ll be looking elsewhere to find work.
Free agency, of course, is right around the corner. The current batch of free agents includes several names that may be of interest to Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Kevin O’Connell, and Brian Flores. Cameron Sutton has lined up in the slot, and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson had 204 slot snaps last year. Byron Murphy and Jonathan Jones are other names to consider.
The draft will certainly include players capable of playing in the slot, but can they do so as NFL rookies? That’d be a tough ask.
Finishing 31st in yards allowed, the Vikings defense didn’t inspire much confidence last year. Perhaps the main culprit for that brutal ranking was the pass defense, which was far too passive. Next year’s corners will need to be capable of offering sticky man coverage.
Patrick Peterson and Duke Shelley may return. Patrick Peterson and Duke Shelley may thrive. Unfortunately, neither is likely to head into the slot very much. As a result, the top 5 corners (assuming Peterson and Shelley re-enter the purple gate) all specialize in lining up along the outside. It’s possible that the coaching staff envisions Booth venturing inside with more frequency, but that’s a major uncertainty at this stage.
Minnesota’s evolving salary cap situation means Adofo-Mensah may need to get creative. Leaning on a 1-year prove-it deal didn’t work particularly well with Sullivan, so it’s fair to wonder about spending on a more established player.
Oh, and for whatever it’s worth, Jalen Ramsey – who is in the trade rumors – is capable of heading inside (though he’s still primarily an outside corner). The Rams CB had 213 snaps in the slot in 2022. Collectively, the Vikings’ current top trio – Booth, Evans, & Dantzler – had 0 in 2022.
Minnesota’s leadership understands the need far better than any of us do, so the assumption has to be that they’re working on a solution. One thing is certain, though: the team’s pass coverage needs to show significant improvement in order to get anywhere close to 13-4 yet again.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
