Minicamp preview: Are Vikings really set at the cornerback position?
Isaiah Rodgers, Jeff Okudah and Mekhi Blackmon will compete for jobs, but only Byron Murphy Jr. is a sure thing at this point.
(The Vikings will hold their mandatory three-day minicamp Tuesday-Thursday. Over the next three days, we will examine some of the key questions facing general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O’Connell as they get set for the last full-team practices before training camp opens in late July. The first focus will be cornerbacks.)
The Vikings moved quickly in March to make sure they kept free agent cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. Murphy, who was named to the Pro Bowl after recording a career-high six interceptions, was retained on a three-year, $54 million contract that included $34.78 million at signing.
But there remain questions about whom Murphy will be playing alongside this season. Veterans Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin, who played 93.3 percent and 50.4 percent of the defensive snaps last season, were not re-signed.
In the Organized Team Activities the media was allowed to watch last week, defensive coordinator Brian Flores used various combinations. The first-team seemed to most often feature Murphy and free agent acquisition Isaiah Rodgers in the base defense. Murphy moved inside and another free-agent signee, Jeff Okudah, played outside opposite Rodgers, in the nickel defense.
Mekhi Blackmon, a third-round pick in 2023, also was in the mix as he returns after suffering a torn right ACL on the opening day of training camp last year. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Blackmon challenges for a starting job, considering he was expected to do so in 2024 before being injured.
The Vikings have 11 cornerbacks on their roster, but the question is how many are coach Kevin O’Connell and Flores comfortable with playing on a regular basis?
The Vikings signed Rodgers to a two-year, $11 million contract, including $8 million guaranteed, in March because Flores wanted him. Rodgers isn’t a household name — he was suspended for the 2023 season for violating the NFL’s policy on gambling — but Flores is known for his ability to identify guys he feels are a good fit for his unpredictable scheme.
Last season, Rodgers played 36 percent of the defensive snaps with the Philadelphia Eagles. He has started 13 of the 60 games he has played over four seasons for the Colts and Eagles, and his three career interceptions all came in 2021.
Rodgers, 27, showed why Flores likes his potential, jumping in front of a J.J. McCarthy pass and intercepting it in last Monday’s practice. Rodgers will get plenty more opportunities with the first team this week in minicamp and into training camp.
The competition between Okudah and Blackmon will be interesting to watch. The third-overall pick in the 2020 draft by the Detroit Lions, Okudah has battled injuries throughout much of his five-year career. He played in 25 games over three seasons with the Lions, appeared in 13 games with the Atlanta Falcons in 2023 and only six games last season with Houston.