When fans look at the Minnesota Vikings’ depth chart, they’ll first seek out the weaknesses. Despite a 14-3 season a year ago, Minnesota’s season ended with a thud as the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams exploited the offensive line in back-to-back losses.
In a perfect world, fans (and probably Kevin O’Connell) would like to avoid this experience, which is why the Vikings went out and overhauled their offensive line this spring. However, if there’s one area that could have fans worried, it’s at the cornerback position.
Minnesota’s cornerback room features Byron Murphy Jr., Mekhi Blackmon, and Isaiah Rodgers Jr. in the starting positions. Still, fans saw a potential upgrade become available when the Green Bay Packers released Jaire Alexander.
Alexander signed with the Baltimore Ravens this week, and there didn’t seem to be a shred of interest from Minnesota’s camp. However, there are a variety of factors why the Vikings didn’t pursue the former All-Pro. One is that there’s reason to believe they could be comfortable with their cornerback room heading into the upcoming season.
To understand, we have to go back to the Mike Zimmer era. You can mock a lot of things that led to the demise of Minnesota’s former head coach, but one thing he got right was that you can never have enough cornerbacks. The position’s value doesn’t depreciate as rapidly as a running back’s. Still, the descent can come quickly, and they can get banged up over the course of the season.
Remember how Xavier Rhodes went from an All-Pro lockdown corner in 2016 and 2017 to a cap casualty in 2019? It’s even more shocking when you consider those were his age 26 to 29 seasons – the same time frame Alexander is entering now.
It’s a situation eerily reminiscent of the one Dalvin Cook entered during his final years in Minnesota. While he was a productive running back during the 2022 season with 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns, the Vikings couldn’t stomach Cook’s massive cap hit in 2023. Minnesota would have liked to have found a trade partner, but nobody else was willing to take on the contract, ultimately leading to his release.
Injury concerns also ended Cook’s time in Minnesota. Cook’s agent, Zac Hiller, pointed out that his client’s shoulder became an issue over his final two seasons, and everything would change after he fixed the problem through surgery. Still, teams fretted over Cook’s long-term viability. After signing with the New York Jets, Cook has played with three different teams, with only 75 carries for 234 yards and no touchdowns.
Perhaps Alexander isn’t heading over the same cliff, but you can see it in the distance. Alexander is still a legitimate cornerback, posting an overall Pro Football Focus grade over 70 in each of his seven seasons. The problem is that he has also missed 33 games due to injury over the past four seasons.
Alexander’s dad tried to downplay the injuries, blaming his initial diagnosis on Green Bay’s training staff and claiming his son couldn’t straighten his leg last season. Still, there’s some baggage the Vikings probably didn’t want to deal with, including a one-game suspension for declaring himself as a team captain when the Packers played in his hometown of Charlotte late in the 2023 season, not to mention a burning rivalry with Justin Jefferson.
If given either choice, the Vikings may have gone with another option, such as trading for Jalen Ramsey. Still, there’s a chance they really like what’s going on in the cornerback room.
Brian Flores loves Murphy’s versatility and ball-hawking skills, which is why Minnesota made re-signing him a priority in free agency. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert also reported that the decision to sign Rodgers was “a Brian Flores special,” based on his athleticism and upside at the position.
Mekhi Blackmon is a wild card after tearing his ACL during last year’s training camp. Still, he had a strong rookie season in 2023, allowing 28 catches for 285 yards, two touchdowns, and an 87.8 passer rating with an interception and eight pass breakups.
There’s also the chance that one of Flores’ long-term projects hits. The Vikings took a flyer on Jeff Okudah during free agency. While he may never reach his projected ceiling when he was the third-overall pick in the 2020 draft, he’s still a big corner who has performed well against the run. Dwight McGlothern also falls into this category after an impressive 2024 preseason.
The Vikings also have some flexibility if things don’t work out. When Blackmon got hurt during training camp, Minnesota bumped up its offer to Stephon Gilmore, who signed after camp concluded. Gilmore and fellow 2024 starter Shaquill Griffin are still on the market, and Minnesota could also take a swing at the trade deadline with $18.3 million in cap space for the upcoming season.
Alexander would have represented an upgrade and perhaps helped Vikings fans rest easier about their secondary. But the outside factors and other available options probably persuaded Minnesota to pass. It’s still a situation worth monitoring heading into the season, but it may not haunt them in 2025.