Beware the Corner Catapult
K. Joudry
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I’m among those who believe that the Vikings are dangerously thin at corner.
Patrick Peterson is part of the solution. The veteran has been brought back on a deal that carries just over a $3.1 million cap hit in 2022. It’s the kind of number that suggests he’s no longer a CB1, an accurate assessment of his current abilities.
Currently, Cameron Dantzler and Chandon Sullivan would be the starters alongside Peterson. The main concern for these three would be the lack of high-end speed. A team with scary-fast receivers could likely do some damage, especially if the Minnesota pass rush struggles to produce. There can only be so much safety help before the offense finds a way to overwhelm an overmatched group of corners.
Making matters even more concerning is the ever-present risk of injury. If one of those top 3 go down, the Vikings will need to catapult a depth corner into a more prominent spot.
I’m a fan of Kris Boyd. As a CB5, Boyd is a great player. He can have a prominent role on special teams and be a physical depth option. As a long-term starter, Boyd will get himself into trouble. I have a hunch that the new coaching staff likes him, largely due to his proclivity for aggressively flying up to make tackles. Too often, though, he’ll get burned in coverage, a problem for a scheme with so much emphasis on man-to-man.
Harrison Hand, in spite of a some nice Christmas plays against the Saints, is largely unproven. Ditto for Parry Nickerson.
The next notable event in the NFL calendar – apart from Minnesota’s upcoming workouts – is the draft. The team will have the chance to add on a high-end prospect to improve their secondary. Recent years, though, show us that there is no guarantee. How did C.J. Henderson work out for the Jags? Jeffrey Okudah for the Lions? I know there are factors that make it more complicated (injuries foremost among them), but that’s part of the point: the Vikings can’t be relying on ideal circumstances for their corner group.
Indeed, the NFL season is a long and arduous one. Three pretty good CBs won’t be enough, so the team ought to beef up the depth. Being able to sustain an injury or two will go a long way in this defense bouncing back.
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