Matthew Coller: The future of the Vikings, Part 7: Cornerbacks

Will free agents return? Who's going to fill their shoes if not?
Dec 1, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings cornerback Shaquill Griffin (1) and cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. (7) and cornerback Fabian Moreau (23) react after Griffin made an interception late during the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Dec 1, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings cornerback Shaquill Griffin (1) and cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. (7) and cornerback Fabian Moreau (23) react after Griffin made an interception late during the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
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The Minnesota Vikings’ biggest question on defense heading into 2024 was whether they could get enough out of their cornerbacks to survive a difficult schedule of opposing QBs. While they had some limitations, the answer was certainly yes. The Vikings got nine interceptions out of the CBs and all three starters held opposing QBs under a 100 QB rating. But with those starters each set to hit free agency, what’s next for the cornerback room?

Let’s have a look…

Byron Murphy Jr.

Now that’s how you have a contract year.

Murphy Jr. was targeted the second most of any corner in the league in 2024 and made the opposition pay for going after him. He picked off six passes and allowed a passer rating of just 80.5 on throws into his coverage. PFF graded him as the 19th best starting corner in the NFL (out of 77). The 27-year-old also showed versatility, lining up in the slot on 307 snaps and outside on 643 plays.

How do you put an estimate on what Murphy Jr. is going to command in free agency? He certainly has a quality history as a corner but 2024 was by far his best year. If he is viewed as a top-20 type corner but not top-10, then that would put him in the range of players like Indy’s Kenny Moore or Tampa Bay’s Jamel Dean, then that would place him at somewhere between $10-$13 million.

That’s totally reasonable for him to return. It’s also not always how it works. There are plenty of teams around the league who are desperate for talent in the secondary and might be willing to pay him much more. An example would be the Titans going crazy for ex-Chief L’Jarius Sneed to the tune of $19.1 million per year. That would be a bridge too far, even if Murphy Jr. has been a legit difference maker in Brian Flores’s defense.

Stephon Gilmore

The Vikings signed Gilmore late in the offseason for $7 million. While he wasn’t the MVP that he once was, they got their money’s worth. Gilmore proved to be a glue guy for the Vikings defense that allowed them to avoid having a weak link that opponents could target time and time again. He played 860 snaps, ranked 48th of 77 by PFF with 55 completions on 83 targets and an opposing QB rating against of 99.4. Opposing teams only gained 9.8 yards per attempt on throws his way, which was 15th best.

Overall the Vikings finished with the second best opposing QB rating in the NFL in 2024. Gilmore playing solidly helped their pass defense more than it hurt, even if he had some limitations due to his age.

It would not be a surprise if Gilmore retires after this season. If he doesn’t, it would be a surprise if the Vikings brought him back.

Shaq Griffin

Griffin’s season can be viewed similarly to Gilmore. He wasn’t a game-changer but he played 572 snaps, gave up just a 53.7% completion percentage and 73.9 QB rating into his coverage. He also graded as an above average run defender. That’s a lot of value for a one-year, $4.5 million deal.

With the cap space that the Vikings are projected to have, it would make sense if they moved on from Griffin and looked for upgrades. However, if he is short on options, bringing him back as a depth at the right price might fit better than a lot of other options at similar cost.

Fabian Moreau

Because the Vikings secondary was healthy through nearly the entire season, Moreau didn’t end up being used often. He played 30+ snaps in three games (Arizona, Atlanta, Chicago) and was only targeted nine times with six receptions for 66 yards and two touchdowns. Moreau might still have enough in the tank to remain in the NFL but it doesn’t seem likely that he will be returning to the Vikings as they look for younger players to emerge.

Dwight McGlothern

The former Arkansas corner was not one of the biggest names in the undrafted free agent market — he was only ranked as the 8th best UDFA cornerback — yet he immediately flashed talent during training camp, joint practices and preseason. That sample size was enough to give the Vikings some confidence that they might have a potential development player who could eventually grow into a starter down the road. In 2024, McGlothern only saw 20 defensive snaps and 15 special teams plays, but he will enter next offseason as one of the most intriguing players in camp.

The fact that McGlothern has potential will not preclude them from getting proven players as we have seen Brian Flores take a patient approach with young defenders but he will have a shot at carving out a role in 2025.

Mekhi Blackmon

The former USC cornerback flashed potential as a long-term starter in 2023 when he played 434 snaps and produced a 71.3 PFF coverage grade and had eight pass breakups. He was also graded as one of the top run defending corners in ‘23. But on the first day of training camp, Blackmon tore his ACL, forcing him to miss the entire 2024 season.

If everything went according to plan with his recovery, Blackmon should be in contention for a starting position.

Nahshon Wright

The Vikings traded Andrew Booth Jr. for Wright at the end of training camp. Booth Jr. played 118 snaps and received a 35.6 PFF grade, giving up 13 catches on 17 targets and two touchdowns. While Wright only played 15 special teams snaps, it’s safe to say the Vikings made the right decision moving on from Booth Jr.

Wright was a 2021 third-rounder and has some experience, so he will be in the mix of players fighting for a depth spot on the 53-man roster in camp.

Free agent options

Mike Hilton (Cincinnati) — The 31-year-old defensive back is as consistent as they come. He ranked 13th this year by PFF and has four straight years in Cincy over 70 grades and over 700 snaps.

Carlton Davis (Detroit) — Was a game-changing DB for Detroit until he suffered a freak injury at the end of the year. The big, physical corner finished 15th by PFF and allowed under 60% completion while playing the 5th highest percentage of man coverage among starters.

Jourdan Lewis (Dallas) — Despite a tough year for Dallas’s defense, Lewis still graded 22nd overall and top 10 in coverage. However, his high grade was an outlier after ranking as the second worst starter in coverage last year.

Kristian Fulton (LAC — The former second-rounder is known as a physical corner who had struggled to make an impact with Tennessee. But this year he emerged with the Chargers, ranking 23rd by PFF and greatly improving as a run defender.

DJ Reed (NYJ) — Reed’s PFF ranking (25th) took a hit because of penalties (11) but he has consistently been one of the league’s top-notch corners since breaking out in 2021. He should be a top target for the Vikings.

Mike Jackson (Panthers) — The only standout from a horrendous defense, Jackson ranked 35th by PFF and had the second most pass breakups in the league. At 6-foot-1, 210-pounds, his size could be intriguing.

Charvarius Ward (San Francisco) — Ward had a tough 2024 after back-to-back elite seasons. At 29, he’s still in his prime and could be a good candidate to bounce back.

Paulson Adebo (New Orleans) — Emerged last year as one of the best young corners in the game but suffered an injury this year limiting him to 436 snaps. In his last 1,300 snaps, QBs have a sub-70 QB rating throwing against him.

Asante Samuel Jr. (LAC) — After breaking out last year with over 1,100 snaps and a solid 73.9 PFF grade, Samuel Jr. dealt with a shoulder injury that limited his snaps.

Trade options???

The trade market might not be much of an option when the Vikings have very little in terms of draft capital but there are some big-contract corners whose teams might be interested in offloading. The first is Cleveland’s Denzel Ward. The Browns are $30 million in the hole for 2025 and need to find ways to offload contracts. Ward is set to make $24 million on the cap (per OverTheCap). As bad as the Browns were last year, Ward still only gave up a 53.5% completion percentage and has allowed a 76.7 career passer rating on throws into his coverage. He would totally change the complexion of the Vikings defense.

It would be a surprise if the Ravens moved Marlon Humphrey but they only have $5 million in space and he carries a $25 million hit next year.

Other names that might be worth a phone call: Cleveland’s Greg Newsome, Philly’s James Bradberry and Miami’s Kendall Fuller.

Draft options

Benjamin Morrison (Notre Dame) — Young corner at 21 years old. Allowed just a 44.4% completion percentage on throws into his coverage last year.

Jahdae Barron (Texas) — Five INTs, 91.3 coverage grade. Did his best work in zone coverage (91.8 grade).

Trey Amos (Ole Miss) — Nearly 1,800 snaps of college football. Graded above average in man (76.4), zone (77.9) and against the run (81.0).

Shavon Revel (East Carolina) — Has size at 6-foot-3. Missed a lot of 2024 but had a breakout 2023. Out of 64 targets over the last two years, opposing QBs have completed just 27 when throwing at Revel.

Darien Porter (Iowa State) — Huge corner at 6-foot-4. Hasn’t allowed a touchdown in two years. Graded 90.9 in zone.

The bottom line

The Vikings cornerback room is a puzzle with a lot of pieces missing and a lot of potential answers. They could bring back Byron Murphy Jr. at a fairly high price and lean on the development of Mekhi Blackmon and Dwight McGlothern or they could look to completely revamp the entire position group by making a big-swing type move like signing Reed or trading for Ward.

With several first-round talents on the back end, the Vikings could also aim to grab a corner that they want to lock into that spot long term as CB1. That way they could develop one of the key positions on the field. The only downside is that corners usually take a couple seasons to acclimate to NFL defenses and receivers.

There is also a philosophical argument that they should aim to find Phase 2 type cornerbacks in free agency to avoid having a weak link rather than swinging big for one big free agent or draft pick. That approach might involve taking a lot of swings, possibly on middle-round picks and/or players whose stock is down after 2024 but might have a bounce-back. It could depend on how much Flores thinks that position group is reliant on having a single superstar.

The Murphy Jr. decision is particularly hard to judge. If there are teams willing to sign him to money that is similar to the top corners, he is likely priced out of a return to Minnesota. But if he’s in the second level of contracts, that would be much more manageable.


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