New Vikings CB Fabian Moreau already working with starters in first practice

Moreau could be in line for significant playing time this season.

Dec 16, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Fabian Moreau (23) is called for pass interference on Detroit Lions wide receiver Josh Reynolds (8) in the second half at Ford Field. / David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports

The Vikings announced the signing of veteran cornerback Fabian Moreau on Wednesday morning. Later that day, the newcomer was working with the first-team defense in a high-intensity padded practice at TCO Performance Center.

Due to the depleted state of the Vikings' cornerback room, Moreau may have a real opportunity to play quite a bit this season. Mekhi Blackmon (torn ACL) is out for the season. Shaq Griffin (hamstring) has missed a week and could need a bit more time to return. That allowed Moreau to slide into the top three along with Byron Murphy Jr. and Akayleb Evans. Brian Flores didn't hesitate to put someone with his experience and size on the field at outside cornerback with the starters in his first practice in Minnesota.

A third-round pick by Washington out of UCLA in 2017, Moreau was with that franchise for four seasons and has since spent one season each with the Falcons, Giants, and Broncos. He's now on his fifth team in five years and has a history of mediocre PFF grades, but Moreau has appeared in 109 NFL games, playoffs included, with 58 starts. The 6-foot, 204-pound veteran, who turned 30 earlier this year, has seven career interceptions and 42 total passes defended.

Fabian Moreau TAKING OVER for Denver!

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— UCLA Football (@UCLAFootball) November 14, 2023

What Moreau brings to the Vikings is a solid, starter-level floor. He's started 40 games and played more than 2,600 defensive snaps for three different teams over the past three seasons, racking up 28 pass breakups. Moreau's PFF grades have been between 56 and 63 in that time span (60 is average), which helps explain what the Vikings are getting. He's not going to be a disaster on the field, but he's also not going to be a star.

Right now, that's rather useful for Flores and Minnesota, given their other options at corner. Evans is a third-year player who has shown flashes of promise but was wildly inconsistent last season and got benched multiple times. Duke Shelley is undersized and barely played at all for the Rams last season after becoming a fan favorite with the Vikings in 2022. Andrew Booth Jr. has shown basically nothing since he was drafted in the second round two years ago. Young players like Jay Ward, A.J. Green III, and Dwight McGlothern are unlikely to earn roles.

If the Vikings don't make another addition at corner — and they could still go after an even bigger name — Moreau will be in the mix with Evans and Shelley to be the third starter alongside Murphy and Griffin (assuming he gets healthy). The veteran provides a solid bar that someone like Evans will have to clear if he wants Flores to call his name in 2024.