One Position Group Has Suddenly Created a Roster Problem
The Minnesota Vikings ran into a lot of trouble early in training camp when sophomore Mekhi Blackmon tore his ACL, ending his season before it had even started. He has been joined on the sidelines for weeks by veteran Shaquill Griffin, who the Vikings signed in free agency to handle the outside cornerback duties on one side.
One Position Group Has Suddenly Created a Roster Problem
At that point, the cornerback room consisted of Byron Murphy and Akayleb Evans. The duo started last year, but Evans’ up-and-down play got him benched twice late in the season. Andrew Booth Jr. has since been traded to the Dallas Cowboys. He had been on the chopping block for a while.
Duke Shelley returned. The 2022 sensation has never been much of a factor anywhere else, and hopes to rekindle some of his magic. The remaining players were undrafted rookie Dwight McGlothern, last year’s practice squad player Jaylin Williams, and ex-Browns depth player A.J. Green. Special teamer NaJee Thompson has been hurt for the entirety of camp.
Long story short, the group had one starting-caliber player, a demoted starter, a one-year-wonder journeyman, two hurt defenders, and a bunch of dart throws. The fans’ concern was easily understandable.
The good news is that the Vikings have acquired four cornerbacks since then.
The first one to arrive in the Twin Cities was former Houston Texans defender Jacobi Francis. He has never played a defensive snap but spent some time on their practice squad. He had a workout with the Vikings during rookie minicamp, and when an emergency hit, the front office brought him in. Francis is unlikely to make the 53-man roster.
Veteran Fabian Moreau has a much better chance. The experienced player (106 games, 56 starts) is coming off a season in which he was a significant piece in Denver’s secondary, logging 740 defensive snaps. He has played roughly 2,500 snaps for three different teams in the last three seasons ‒ primarily as an outside cornerback.
The next acquisition was Nahshon Wright, a former Cowboys’ third-round draft choice, Entering his fourth season, Wright has been a special teamer and depth defender as he never lived up to the expectations. He was swapped for Booth in an attempt to revive the careers of a couple of draft disappointments.
On Sunday, reports surfaced that the Vikings would acquire former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore. The five-time Pro Bowler is in the final stretch of his career at age 33, but he was still effective in 2023 as a full-time starter for the Dallas Cowboys, and he should be expected to be a starter again.
The development of McGlothern deserves a mention, too. The Arkansas product excels in preseason competitions and in training camp practices. His PFF grade of 84.7 ranks him second on Minnesota’s defensive roster through two games.
He has been targeted twice, hasn’t allowed a catch, but returned an interception for 91 yards. The undrafted rookie has the skill set to play a role for the Vikings, but the position room is suddenly full.
Murphy and Gilmore will surely be on the 53-man roster. Griffin and Moreau bring a lot of starting experience, and the coaching staff seems to like both of them. The former was penciled in as a starter on the outside before his injury, and the latter received first-team reps one day after joining the club.
Evans started last season, showing some level of trust from the coaching staff, too. If the team keeps all of them, the position count is already at five. Last season, the Vikings kept only four cornerbacks in addition to special teams ace Thompson, which is an unusually low number.
However, with Brian Flores’ deployment of at least four safeties with significant snap numbers, it makes sense to carry fewer cornerbacks. McGlothern or trade acquisition Wright would be the sixth.
- Byron Murphy
- Stephon Gilmore
- Shaq Griffin
- Akayleb Evans
- Fabian Moreau
- Dwight McGlothern
- Duke Shelley
- Nahshon Wright
- Jaylin Williams
- A.J. Green
- Jacobi Francis
- NaJee Thompson
The position has undergone a remarkable transformation ‒ going from not having enough players to practice properly to having too many players worthy of a roster spot ‒ and it will be one to watch when cutdown day arrives on August 27. In all likelihood, either a reliable veteran or a promising talent will be on the outside looking in.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Focus and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt