Brian Flores Is All-In on a New Vikings Defender
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores is preparing for a third season on the Vikings’ sidelines. He implemented a defensive structure that helped revive a unit that had been abysmal in the three years prior to his employment. In 2022, he was Pittsburgh’s linebackers coach — a job he was overqualified for — but it may have been a necessary step following his dismissal as Miami’s head coach.
Vikings DC is a big fan of his new player
It was during his tenure in Miami when cornerback Isaiah Rodgers was coming out of college. Now, five years later, the coach is finally getting his hands on the speedster, and he couldn’t be happier about it.
When mandatory minicamp kicked off on Tuesday, Flores was present for some media questions, and he was asked about the cornerback.
“He’s been on my radar since he was at UMass, a fast playmaker,” Flores emphasised. “I think he’s one of these kind of late-round guys who found his way in the league in the kicking game. And got in some games and made some plays. I’ve always thought he was a good player and was ascending. And the opportunity presented itself that we could maybe acquire him, I was all in, and I’m happy we got him. He’s been a great addition. He’s got a great kind of football IQ and acumen. That’s something that we stressed, really, throughout the group, at all levels, secondary, second level, and obviously D line.”
Rodgers came out of UMass in 2020. Unlike his new teammate Justin Jefferson, he was not a star player coming out and was drafted in the sixth round despite running a 4.28 40-yard dash, catching 11 interceptions in four seasons, and being a prolific returner in college.
The Colts then took a chance, and he played for them for three seasons.
Flores continued, “And I think it’s just a great addition. We talk about bringing guys in who, as far as building a synergy within the group: How is this guy going to mesh with [Byron Murphy Jr.] and [Harrison Smith] and [Josh Metellus], and he’s just come in and done a great job from that standpoint.”
The Vikings had to rebuild their secondary, which, at some point, consisted of Mekhi Blackmon, Dwight McGlothern, Jay Ward, and Joshua Metellus. Theo Jackson was re-signed prior to free agency, and Harrison Smith decided to add another year to his legendary career.
Then, the club addressed the cornerback position that had four contributors heading towards free agency. Only Byron Murphy Jr. was re-signed while Stephon Gilmore, Shaq Griffin, and Fabian Moreau all walked.
Minnesota’s first external move in free agency was adding Rodgers to the cornerback room, handing him a two-year deal worth $11 million (up to $15 million).
He has been penciled in as the CB2 of the Minnesota Vikings ever since, despite never playing a full-time starting role in his NFL career. Throughout his three seasons with the team, he served as their primary kick returner. On defense, however, he logged 51 snaps in his rookie year. That defensive role expanded in 2021 to 525 defensive snaps or 48%, and he accumulated 430 snaps (43%) in 2022.
Then, Rodgers was suspended for a year due to gambling, and the Colts quickly waived him. Philadelphia picked him up, knowing he wouldn’t play for a full season. That move paid dividends in 2024 when he was a rotational player for the Super Bowl-winning side with 328 defensive snaps.
In his four seasons in five years, he played in 60 contests (13 starts), tabulating a kick return touchdown, three picks, 116 tackles, and a pair of forced fumbles. He has 1,334 defensive snaps on his resume. Just for context, Murphy Jr. played 1,060 defensive snaps in 2024 alone.
In those opportunities, Rodgers earned respectable PFF grades:
2020: 85.6 (N/A)
2021: 70.7 (25/116 eligible CBs)
2022: 82.1 (5th/118)
2024: 73.2 (24/116)
The question now is whether his decent level of play will remain when suddenly increasing his snap count close to 100%.
Returning cornerback Blackmon, as well as Jeff Okudah, aim to unseat Rodgers from the CB2 spot, and another potentially incoming player like Jaire Alexander, Jalen Ramsey, or someone else could be a threat, too.
The way the coaching staff has talked about Rodgers throughout this offseason, however, is surely encouraging. He is 27 years old and has a massive chance to clinch a starting role.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.