The Vikings’ Risk/Reward Pursuit of an “Alien” for Brian Flores’ Defense
Every defensive coordinator wants a true lockdown CB1, someone capable of going toe-to-toe with the other team’s WR1 on an every-down basis. Not every defensive coordinator gets their wish, though.
The Vikings’ pre-draft activity suggests that they’re at least considering making a move for corner Shavon Revel Jr., someone with tremendous potential but also some downside. Sinking a 1st into the corner would be a home-run swing; there could be a strikeout or a ball sailing into the stands. After all, we’re talking about a wonderfully gifted football player who is coming off a major injury and who has played his college ball at a smaller school.
The Vikings’ Risk/Reward with Shavon Revel Jr.
First, the simple fact that Minnesota has expressed some interest in the corner by meeting with him before the draft.
Credit to Tom Pelissero of The NFL Network: “Former East Carolina CB Shavon Revel — a projected first-round pick who is recovering from ACL reconstruction — will visit the #Bills, #Colts and #Vikings this week. He’ll also do the combine medical recheck while in Indianapolis.”
Second, consider the quick scouting blurb from PFF, the spot responsible for referring to Mr. Revel as an “alien” (which is meant to be a compliment).
The quick analysis: “Revel is the ideal Day 2 athletic alien to draft and develop, despite inconsistent anticipation and technique in his current form. His physical gifts (including height and length) point to press-man coverage being his home in the NFL, but it will be quite the adjustment for him to go from one year of staring [sic] experience in the AAC to the NFL — especially off a torn ACL.”
Keep in mind that we’re talking about a corner who is listed at 6’3″ and 193 pounds. He’s 23 and had a sizzling 48.8 passer rating against in limited work in 2024.
The NFL’s scouting report points to similar upside: “Big, long and fast are the physical descriptors that stand out for the East Carolina corner. Revel is leggy when matching press release but he’s disruptive once he gets his hands on the wideout. He plays upright in man coverage, tends to allow small pockets of separation due to his high center of gravity and still needs improvement when it comes to finding and defending the deep ball, despite his ability to stay in phase with vertical routes. He has ideal length and good vision from zone, and he should continue to improve in that coverage with more experience. Revel suffered a torn ACL in September, but his measurables, explosiveness and upside give him a good chance to become an early starter.”
One could make a convincing case that the Vikings’ last true CB1 was Xavier Rhodes. Standing at 6’1″ and weighing 218 pounds, Rhodes was capable of wrestling with the NFL’s bully receivers, using his length and physicality to give pass catchers headaches.
Since then, 1st-Round selections have been sunk into corners such as Trae Waynes and Mike Hughes, but Minnesota hasn’t opted for someone as imposing as Rhodes. Could Shavon Revel mirror the former Vikings CB1?
Back in 2023, Revel took part in twelve games for East Carolina. The corner picked up 54 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, 13 passes defended, and 1 fumble recovery (which got brought back for six points). That season involved Revel allowing just a 62.6 passer rating against as he soaked up 501 snaps as a corner while being put into the box for 117 snaps. He also had 17 snaps in the slot, 14 along the d-line, and 1 as a deep safety.
Minnesota, essentially, is weighing the risk/reward of making a move for Revel in the draft, someone who seems likely to fly off the board in the late 1st or somewhere in the 2nd. The last time they opted for a talented corner with injury concerns — Andrew Booth Jr. in 2022 — didn’t end up going particularly well, but that doesn’t mean the strategy is doomed.
The current corner cluster is being led by veterans Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers. Both offer reason for optimism, but neither has the size that DCs covet in their boundary corners. Jeff Okudah and/or Dwight McGlothern could step up, but neither has the upside that Shavon Revel currently offers.
We’ll see if the Vikings believe that the reward is worth the risk at some point from April 24th to 25th.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Sports Reference CFB helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on social media (Bluesky & Twitter). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.