A Freak Athlete Joined the Vikings on Saturday
On day three of the draft, the Vikings finally addressed a long-term need, adding cornerback Charles Demmings from Stephen F. Austin. It took them much longer than some had hoped, using the 163rd pick to bring him to Minnesota.
Demmings played a ton of football, starting for 3.5 years. He did so at the FCS level, suggesting he’s experienced, but there will still be a learning curve as he adjusts to the NFL.
Either way, Minnesota acquired one of the best athletes in this year’s class. At 6’1″ and 193 lbs, he ran a 4.41-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine and demonstrated his explosiveness with a 42-inch vertical jump. He also attended the Senior Bowl.
After the draft, Demmings noted, “Going to the combine … the higher-end guys, SEC guys, Power 4 guys, they were definitely surprised. The first day of the combine, Keionte Scott came up to me and was like, ‘Man, I heard you’re going to break the vertical record.’ It was a funny thing to me because I had never talked to Keionte before that.”
Finding some youth for the cornerback room was one of the primary tasks for acting Vikings GM Rob Brzezinski. Older defensive backs Byron Murphy Jr. (28), Isaiah Rodgers (28), and James Pierre (29) should still be expected to form the top trio in the upcoming season, but Brian Flores now has a younger talent to work with.
Speaking of Flores, he will get his hands on a versatile cornerback, at least according to the prospect: “Throughout my [college] career I went through a couple different schemes, but it gave me a lot of tools in my toolbox. And one thing I love, I love press man [coverage]. For most of my time at SFA, I was a boundary corner. They believed I was the best press man corner we had, so if I had to follow a guy everywhere on the field, that was my role for the game. If I had to just be boundary corner, that was my role. If I had to be a run support, that was my role.”
He learned from three different defensive coordinators at Stephen F. Austin.
“Whatever the game plan called for … we just adjusted. And I pride myself in being very adaptable week-in and week-out, not just being the same player giving the same look.”
The athletic tools are there, but there will still be an adjustment period.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote in his pre-draft analysis, “Demmings has some learning-on-the-job lessons waiting for him in the NFL, but he has the cover athleticism and mental toughness to weather that storm and be better for it. He can offer immediate depth on defense and special teams.”
That should be his expected role in his debut season. Demmings can provide depth and put his athleticism on display on special teams. Given the track record and experience of the top trio, he’ll have a hard time snatching one of those spots in the Vikings’ rotation.
Burgler added, “Physically, Demmings is a balanced athlete with length, change-of-direction skills and top-end speed. He can do a better job reading the route, instead of just playing the receiver, but he competes with supreme confidence and skillfully tracks the ball to play through the hands. He is more comfortable in press man than zone, although some play-strength concerns show up (in coverage and run support).”
Demmings will be the first project of the new Vikings DB coach, Gerald Alexander. Daronte Jones, Minnesota’s DB coach in 2025, earned a promotion to defensive coordinator from the Washington Commanders.
The corner has the tools to be a steal for the Vikings, but only time will tell if he can actually develop into a starter down the road.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.