Vikings Promote Forgotten Rookie Cornerback
The franchise promoted rookie cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn to the 53-man roster ahead of the Week 18 season finale, indicating that his debut could be on the horizon. Vaughn was a splashy player in OTAs and training camp, but the cornerback hasn’t gotten a chance to show his skills on an NFL field.
Vikings Elevate Zemaiah Vaughn to 53-Man Roster
On Monday, the Vikings announced on the team’s official website that rookie defensive lineman Elijah Williams — an undrafted rookie with seven season appearances — on IR. His season is over. That, however, opened a roster spot for fellow undrafted rookie Vaughn.
Vikings writer Lindsey Young explained, “The Vikings have placed Elijah Williams on Injured Reserve. Minnesota made the move after the undrafted rookie suffered an ankle injury against the Lions last week. Williams appeared in seven games for the Vikings this season, contributing on defense and special teams when his number was called. He totaled nine tackles. In a corresponding move, the Vikings elevated fellow undrafted rookie Zemaiah Vaughn to the 53-man roster ahead of Minnesota’s regular-season finale.”
Vaughn, 23, is a tall corner (listed 6’3″ and 180 lbs). Vikings reporters raved about the young defender throughout the summer, but he ultimately couldn’t crack the cornerback rotation. After not making the 53-man roster, the Vikings signed him to the practice squad, where he remained until this week.
In rookie minicamp, he secured an interception that turned heads. The Athletic’s Alec Lewis summarized the play in his rookie minicamp takeaways: “Maybe the most impressive play of the day occurred on the left sideline, as Brosmer tried to layer a pass into a pocket in the defense’s zone coverage. Zemaiah Vaughn, an undrafted cornerback from Utah, leaped and secured the interception. Afterward, defensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Daronte Jones and even O’Connell patted Vaughn on the helmet.”
Vaughn went undrafted after spending his five collegiate seasons at Utah. In his college career, Vaughn played in 56 games, secured three interceptions, had three sacks, 14 tackles for loss, and 144 tackles.
Former Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy tweeted ahead of the draft: “CB Zemaiah Vaughn’s (6021v, 175v, 32 7/8 arm) name out there much in draft rankings right now but he possesses one of best combos of length & speed in this year’s draft. Springy athlete should blow up Combine and his makeup speed jumps off the tape.”
In the preseason, he struggled to put his physical tools on tape. According to PFF, Vaughn played 110 defensive snaps. He was targeted 15 times, allowing eight catches for 129 yards and a touchdown. He fell awkwardly on the touchdown catch to give up a 65-yarder.
The Vikings still feature starters Byron Murphy and Isaiah Rodgers. Veteran backup Fabian Moreau has gotten about 20 snaps a game since Jeff Okudah went down with his second concussion of the season. Sophomore Dwight McGlothern is providing depth, but has barely seen the field in two seasons. Safety Jay Ward has recently played some corner, too, but Joshua Metellus’ season-ending injury means he’ll be used as a safety.
In a meaningless Week 18 game, the Vikings could give some young players chances to show their skills. It’ll be a glorified preseason game, though the Vikings surely want to avoid the sweep and beat their rivals.
Vaughn, if made active on Sunday, will be the lanky guy with jersey number 34.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.