The re-signing of legendary cornerback Patrick Peterson has given the Minnesota Vikings much-needed flexibility heading into the 2022 NFL Draft. They can now focus on snagging the best player off the board instead of the predictable cornerback grab to help fill a depleted secondary.
SKOL nation was howling on Wednesday night.
Peterson, an eight-time Pro Bowler, appeared on the All Things Covered podcast and revealed he was staying put in Minnesota and running it back another season with the Vikings. Per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, it’s a one-year, $4 million deal with another $1 million in incentives.
So the Vikings get their veteran corner on a team-friendly deal after signing Chandon Sullivan away from the Green Bay Packers. Cameron Dantzler is also still under contract to help defend the other side of the field. The Vikings clearly need to add depth to their defensive backfield, but they aren’t in a position where they must use their first-round pick on one, either.
Who knows? The team could decide to trade back and accumulate more draft picks at this point.
Defensive backfield, pass rusher, offensive line or perhaps even quarterback—Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could go a multitude of different directions with the team’s first pick.
Having that sort of freedom is great for a first-year general manager that was believed to be locked into taking Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, Trent McDuffie or Derek Stingley Jr. Granted, he still may end up taking one of those players, but now, he’ll have a little wiggle room if another player he wasn’t expecting falls down the board.
The primary trouble spots are still in the defensive backfield, interior offensive line and edge rusher. Yes, even after adding Za’Darius Smith, the Vikings would do well to use this newfound freedom to take a crack at a pass-rusher. Danielle Hunter has been a walking injury report, and Smith only played in one game last season due to a back injury.
Adofo-Mensah, the man with the biggest analytical brain in the room, has a chance to make an impact on the team in the short and long-term.
What will he do?
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