The Vikings’ In-House Position that Got a Vote of Confidence from Team Leadership
Up until the 2025 NFL Draft, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had always invested at least a single pick in the secondary. As with other trends, the GM decided to snap his streak.
The Vikings’ in-house corners — which is to say nothing of the safeties — must be inspiring quite a bit of optimism. Byron Murphy Jr., a well-established veteran who is now a well-paid veteran, is leading the corner cluster while Harrison Smith continues being leaned on within the secondary more broadly. Does the group have enough talent to get the job done in a 2025 season where the Vikings believe they’re legitimate Super Bowl contenders?
The Vikings’ In-House Options in the Secondary
Over on Vikings Territory, Dustin Baker wondered aloud whether there is enough corner talent to succeed.
“So, a decision in the eye of the beholder — is that enough for a Super Bowl-contending team?” Baker asks. “Minnesota has carefully built a roster this offseason to win a championship, so long as quarterback J.J. McCarthy is legitimate — a grand if. Murphy Jr. is trustworthy. No debates there. After Murphy Jr., however, the speculation thickens.”
The question is a fair one. Minnesota is spending like they’re expecting to win, bringing in veterans meant to help now rather than just upside youngsters with an eye toward the future.
Something to note with the corners is that beefing up the pass rush will help. Assume, for the sake of argument, that Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave prove to be excellent pass rushers from the defensive tackle spot. All of the sudden, the corners don’t have to cover for as long since the pocket is getting collapsed with a fair degree of regularity. A corner has an easier time in coverage when the quarterback is getting suplexed.
The upside of bringing Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel back for another season of Brian Flores’ tutelage is also appealing, especially when partnered with those defensive tackles. The wild card is Dallas Turner, someone who oozes potential but who spent his rookie season in a depth role on his way to 3 sacks. Can he take a large step forward? If so, the secondary will gain even more help.
Seeing the defensive front be an absolute menace on a game-by-game basis would make a considerable difference for the secondary. A key could involve needing to blitz less, thereby allowing Flores to drop more men into coverage. Generating pressure with just four defenders means being able to drop seven men into coverage for a maximum of five pass catchers. DCs love that kind of math and Brian Flores will be no different.
There are a pair of x-factors within this discussion: the emergence of corner Isaiah Rodgers alongside the emergence of safety Theo Jackson. If both can be as good as advertised, then the Vikings will be sitting in an alright spot.
Rodgers is smaller, standing at 5’10” and weighing 176 pounds. So, no mistaking him for Xavier Rhodes. Could he play ball in a manner that inspires memories of Antoine Winfield, someone who wasn’t the largest corner in the league but who nevertheless made a large impact?
And then there’s Mr. Jackson, someone who has been getting praise for a while. The Hitman and Josh Metellus are now the clear-cut top pair at safety, but Jackson is looking likely to earn a huge increase in playing time. He’ll be tasked with stepping into Camryn Bynum’s shoes, patrolling the deep area of the field.
Top off the discussion with the words from Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. The GM discussed his lack of attention on the secondary in his post-draft press conference.
Per the Vikings’ top executive, there’s a lot of belief in the Vikings’ in-house options: “We are extremely confident in our group.” He goes on to praise his safeties and clarify that “Theo Jackson is someone we’ve been excited about for a long time.” Jay Ward even gets a shout out.
As for the corners, there’s a fivesome of corners who get mentioned — Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, Jeff Okudah, Mehki Blackmon, and Dwight McGlothern — before circling around to the point made above about the defensive line: “Football is connected, though, so when you’re excited about your secondary that means you’re probably excited about your front.”
In the end, the Vikings could very plausibly look to add another corner to the group — an experienced option with size, perhaps — but the GM isn’t tipping his hand. The Vikings’ in-house options leave Minnesota with a feeling of confidence.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
Vikings Post-Draft Hot Takes
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 Twitter and Bluesky (@VikingsGazette). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.