What the Vikings have lost in veteran talent at cornerback, they’ve gained in rookies who have the potential to be just as good.
Xavier Rhodes signed with the Colts this offseason. In 2019, Rhodes had no picks and made six pass deflections. He earned a coverage grade of 46.5 last season.
Trae Waynes will arguably be the most difficult corner to replace, but even he wasn’t stellar for the Vikings. Waynes had eight pass deflections and one interception. He earned an overall grade of 65.1 from PFF.
There’s also Mackensie Alexander, the team’s nickel corner from 2019. Alexander signed with the Bengals, the same team as Waynes.
Alexander is coming off a season where he had five pass deflections and an interception in a slightly more limited role than Rhodes and Waynes. PFF reported that Alexander was the only defensive back to play more than 500 snaps in 2019-20 and never miss a tackle. The outlet gave Alexander an overall score of 65.7.
Waynes and Alexander were both decent, but there’s a chance that whomever is playing corner for the Vikings in 2020 is better. Here are three storylines surrounding the position group: