Tag: Jeff Gladney

Vikings ranked as the third best pass coverage unit in 2019

A good sign for the future: Despite inconsistent cornerback play in 2019, PFF ranked the Vikings third in pass coverage units.

Minnesota saw a good share of departures in the secondary, but there’s still a question of whether that’s good or bad.

Minnesota lost two starters in Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes. The team also saw Mackensie Alexander sign with the Bengals.

However, Rhodes and Waynes were inconsistent throughout 2019, and the team has brought in some younger talent who might be more promising.

There’s also some more good news: Despite Rhodes and Waynes being less than stellar at times, Pro Football Focus still rated the Vikings coverage unit third in the NFL.

Now imagine if some of those cornerbacks like Jeff Gladney and Cameron Dantzler step up and play well? That, combined with Anthony Harris and Harrison Smith back deep at safety, will bode well for Minnesota’s chances of having one of the better defensive back corps in the league, despite losing key contributors from last season.

There’s also Mike Hughes and Holton Hill, two players who were reserves for the Vikings. They have a chance to take starting positions and maybe even be better than Rhodes and Waynes.

The Vikings secondary is now set up for long-term success 

The future is bright in the Vikings secondary.

Heading into the 2020 NFL season, the Vikings defense is going to look much different than it has over the last few seasons.

The defensive backs have never been the same after the loss to the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game, but Mike Zimmer has the talent in the secondary to rebuild it into something special. 

The Vikings used two of their first four picks on the cornerback position, addressing the biggest hole the team had on its roster. Zimmer got two extremely physical corners that play with a scrappy mentality. 

TCU product Jeff Gladney is going to have the most hype due to being selected in the first round, but Cameron Dantzler out of Mississippi State is another name to keep an eye on, whenever the Vikings are allowed to resume football activities. Both cornerbacks are physical, athletic and play with great footwork.

 

Dantzler was the only cornerback in the SEC to shut down the top receiver-quarterback duo in the FBS. According to Pro Football Focus, Burrow had a 95.2 grade out of 100, 5,341 yards, 56 touchdowns and a 143.2 passer rating against everyone else in 2020. 

When he went up against Dantzler, he had a 70.8 overall grade with 13 yards, zero touchdowns and a 57.3 passer rating. 

Gladney is an ideal fit for Zimmer’s defense, and has received some high praise from the Jets’ second-round pick Denzel Mims. In an interview with Draft Wire’s Justin Melo, Mims said that Gladney is the best cornerback in this draft class. 

“I think Jeff Gladney was one of the best players in college football,” Mims told Melo. “He’s tough, he’s physical. He has that dog mentality. He is a little on the shorter side, but he’s a long guy. He has those long arms. He’s very aggressive. He’s just a great overall player. Of course he can run too. You already knew that. He’s the best corner, in my opinion.” 

The pairing of Gladney and Dantzler combined with Zimmer’s track record with cornerbacks is something worth getting excited about. Gladney and Dantzler have the talent to contribute from day one, and they make the already young secondary even younger. 

Mike Hughes, Holton Hill and Gladney are all 23 years old, and Dantzler is only 21 years old. Although these names are still mostly unproven, they still have the brighter days of their careers ahead of them.

The youth in the secondary combined with one of the league’s best safety tandems with Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris leaves the Vikings with a lot of untapped potential. 

Zimmer has shown over his time in Minnesota how much he values talented players in his secondary. Although 2020 might not be the breakout year for all of the young cornerbacks due to limited practice reps, the team is set up for an extremely bright future at the position.

Five keys for the Vikings defense in 2020

How can the Vikings not take a step back in 2020? Here are five things the team needs to do.

How can the Vikings not take a step back in 2020? Here are five things the team needs to do.

Minnesota’s strong suit in the past has been its defense, but this offseason, the biggest free agency losses have come from that side of the ball.

Cornerbacks Trae Waynes, Xavier Rhodes and Mackensie Alexander are all gone. Waynes and Rhodes were starters and Alexander was the team’s nickel corner in 2019.

Minnesota also lost defensive end Stephen Weatherly. Everson Griffen announced he was leaving, but he has yet to sign anywhere.

At safety, the team lost two reserves: Andrew Sendejo and Jayron Kearse.

Minnesota also saw defensive tackle Linval Joseph sign elsewhere.

It will be tough to replace all that talent, but the Vikings will have to in order to not take a step back in 2020.

Let the young corners adjust to the NFL

Minnesota can go about replacing Rhodes Waynes and Alexander with some draftees, as well as players still on the team.

The Vikings took TCU’s Jeff Gladney, Mississippi State’s Cameron Dantzler and Temple’s Harrison Hand in the draft this year, all of whom are cornerbacks.

Gladney is a physical corner who is the most likely of the three to play right away, but I think Minnesota should be reluctant to give him or any of the rookies the starting reigns for the first game, unless the team is blown away by their progress.

Gladney could be the nickel corner, with Mike Hughes and Holton Hill starting out wide, until the TCU product develops more. It will be tempting to see the first-round pick out wide in a slightly bigger role right away, but this is as unconventional an offseason as they come, and putting Gladney in too big of a role too early might not be wise.

As for Dantzler, he needs to put on a lot of weight if he wants to be more than a reserve for 2020. I know he’s always played small in the past, but I don’t see him being physical enough to consistently play unless he adds weight.

Hand will compete for a reserve role, and could be successful at it.

The Vikings will have to temper expectations with their rookies early, and rely on Hughes and Hill as the three cornerback draftees get acclimated.

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Colts betting that Xavier Rhodes will have a bounce-back season

Rhodes signed a one-year, $3 million “prove it” deal with the Colts this offseason with just $1 million guaranteed.

Cornerback Xavier Rhodes had the worst season of his career in 2019 with the Vikings.

That led to the Vikings making him a cap casualty this offseason.

Rhodes signed a one-year, $3 million “prove it” deal with the Colts this offseason with just $1 million guaranteed.

The Colts are hoping Rhodes’ down season in 2019 will fuel him to succeed in 2020.

“We are excited about where he is. I know we feel that. . . But we feel he has a chip on his shoulder in lieu of the circumstances and we are excited about that,” Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus said.

If Rhodes does have a bounce-back season, that doesn’t necessarily mean the Vikings made a mistake. A new change of scenary for both Rhodes and the Vikings seemed like the best thing for both sides.

To fill Rhodes’ place on the depth chart, the team drafted TCU’s Jeff Gladney in the first round of the 2020 draft.

Five challenges for the Vikings in 2020

Here are five challenges the Vikings face in the 2020 season.

Minnesota is coming off a year where it went 10-6 in the regular season and won a playoff game, but if the team wants similar success, it will have to do so with a lot of new faces.

Minnesota saw Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, Linval Joseph, Stephen Weatherly, Mackensie Alexander and others sign elsewhere in free agency. The Vikings also traded Stefon Diggs to the Bills for draft picks.

The Vikings drafted a first-round wide receiver: Justin Jefferson. He can attempt to replace Diggs.

Later in the first round, the team drafted Jeff Gladney, who can help replace Waynes, Rhodes and Alexander at corner.

So there are rookies with potential, but the Vikings have a difficult schedule, and the team doesn’t have time for the new players to go through steep learning curves.

Here are some challenges the team will have to face:

The salary cap

One of the reasons the Vikings had to replace the team’s old players with draft picks is because of Minnesota’s current salary cap situation.

Over The Cap founder Jason Fitzgerald said the Vikings are at an estimated $7.7 million in cap space based off salary projections for draft picks. If rookies do not pan out in the way that Minnesota hopes, then the team will not have the option of signing a player in free agency at the moment.

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Touchdown Wire lists defining stat for Justin Jefferson, Jeff Gladney

If 2019 college stats are any indication, Justin Jefferson will do well when he’s in the slot, and Jeff Gladney will thrive when he’s targeted on passes of 20 or more yards.

Touchdown Wire compiled a defining stat for each first-round draft pick.

The Vikings two choices in that round — LSU wideout Justin Jefferson and TCU corner Jeff Gladney — both tallied interesting stats in their final collegiate season, which might indicate NFL success in certain areas.

Jefferson’s stat was his 109 slot receptions, which led the NCAA in 2019. Here’s what the outlet said about Jefferson:

Jefferson’s 2019 place in LSU’s explosive passing game is that he led the NCAA in both slot receptions (109) and yardage from slot receptions (1,518). Jefferson has the attributes to play more of an outside role, but he blew up just about every defense he went against in the slot.

Gladney’s defining stat was his catches allowed on passes for 20 or more yards in which he was the primary target. He gave up just six catches in those situations.

Here’s what Touchdown Wire said about the cornerback:

“Gladney, the TCU alum, gives Mike Zimmer a good place to start when rebuilding at the position. Gladney is especially adept in deep coverage — on passes of 20 or more air yards in which he was the primary target in 2019, he allowed just six catches on 20 targets.”

B/R predicts Dru Samia and Jeff Gladney are among the Vikings starters

Bleacher Report predicted that Dru Samia will be a starting guard and Jeff Gladney will be a starting cornerback for the Vikings.

Minnesota saw departures at cornerback and offensive line, and Bleacher Report has predicted which players will be filling those positions in 2020.

The outlet projected Dru Samia to start at guard, and rookie Jeff Gladney to start at corner. The rest of the picks aren’t too crazy. Spoiler alert, Kirk Cousins and Dalvin Cook are starters.

A decently interesting choice, besides Samia and Gladney, is Ifeadi Odenigbo at the starting defensive end spot opposite of Danielle Hunter. Odenigbo was a reserve in 2019 and played well in a limited role. He will likely compete for that spot and I could see him winning it.

Here’s what Bleacher Report said about the Vikings roster:

Jeff Gladney is likely the only one to crack the starting lineup out of the gate, but Cameron Dantzler and Harrison Hand will likely have opportunities as well. Ifeadi Odenigbo could be the breakout star of this defense. He’ll take over for Griffen after racking up seven sacks and 18 pressures in a rotational role in 2019.

I’d be good with Samia, Gladney and Odenigbo stepping into starting roles.

What can the Vikings expect out of first-round pick Jeff Gladney? 

Jeff Gladney is a tough, physical corner who can bring a lot to the table for the Vikings.

The Minnesota Vikings desperately needed help at the cornerback position heading into the 2020 NFL Draft. With the departures of Xavier Rhodes, Mackensie Alexander and Trae Waynes, it was clear the team had to address the position early on in the draft.   

With their 31st overall selection, the Vikings landed cornerback Jeff Gladney out of TCU. After watching the defense not look the same in 2020, Mike Zimmer needed to land a good scheme fit in the secondary early on in this class. 

Gladney brings with him to Minnesota a physical style of play. Standing at 5’10, Gladney isn’t the ideal size for the position, but his long arms make up for it. He shows no fear in going up against the bigger wide receivers and has shown that he can make plays on the outside. 

Denzel Mims was one of the most athletic receivers in this draft class, and he had some high praise for Gladney in an interview with Justin Melo from the Draft Wire. 

“The best cornerback I ever went up against actually played in my conference. That would be Jeff Gladney from TCU,” Mims told Melo. “Jeff Gladney is a top-two cornerback in this draft class. I honestly think he’s actually the best corner in this class period.” 

Mims was drafted in the second round by the New York Jets. His size, speed and elite performance at the Senior Bowl had him skyrocket up draft boards, ultimately landing him with the Jets. 

“I think Jeff Gladney was one of the best players in college football. He’s tough, he’s physical. He has that dog mentality,” Mims said. “He’s a little on the shorter side, but he’s a long guy. He has those long arms. He’s very aggressive. He’s just a great overall player. Of course he can run, you already knew that. He’s the best corner, in my opinion.” 

His physicality jumps out on tape the most, but he is great in coverage as well. He plays with quick feet, good ball skills and his long arms help him eliminate throwing windows. His willingness to come downhill and lay the big hits should remind Vikings fans of one of the best cornerbacks to ever play in purple, Antoine Winfield. 

The Vikings beefed up their secondary throughout the entire draft process, but Gladney should be looked at as one of the top corners in this class. Pairing him, and the Vikings third round pick Cameron Dantzler, with Mike Hughes and Holton Hill injects talented and youthful players into the team’s secondary. Not to mention they have one of the league’s best safety tandems in Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris behind them.

It might take a year or two for the secondary to emerge, but Zimmer now has the tools he needs to build something great. 

Vikings rookies to gather for online camp

Vikings general manager Rick Spielman told the Star Tribune he’s very confident the rookies will be able to catch up from a learning standpoint.

Minnesota has no shortage of new faces for 2020, and in an offseason where teams have had to switch to remote work amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Those players — 15 draftees and 12 undrafted free agents — will also be adjusting. As reported by the Star Tribune, the first-year players will gather for an online camp before the 2020 season. The camp will serve as a way to indoctrinate the rookies.

The Vikings will also continue to have the new players go through the life skills program, according to Spielman.

Here’s what Spielman said about the situation:

“When the rookies start the rookie minicamp and get into our offseason program, we feel very confident they’ll be able to catch up from a learning standpoint,” he told the Star Tribune.

The Vikings drafted two players in the first round of the draft this season: Justin Jefferson and Jeff Gladney. Jefferson, a wide receiver out of LSU, and Gladney, a cornerback out of TCU, will hopefully be able to adjust to an unconventional offseason and contribute to the team right away.

Some of the other players who were drafted might not have the same expectations, but Jefferson and Gladney both fill pretty big positional needs, so hopefully they’re quick learners.

NFL analyst at ESPN said Vikings CB Jeff Gladney was his favorite pick in the draft

Matt Bowen, an NFL analyst for ESPN, said his favorite pick in the draft was TCU cornerback Jeff Gladney going to the Vikings.

The Vikings took cornerback Jeff Gladney with the 31st pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Minnesota traded back, but still managed to find a physical corner who fits Mike Zimmer’s defensive scheme well.

Matt Bowen, an NFL analyst for ESPN, was a fan of the pick. He recently said that Gladney was his favorite pick in an ESPN article where various analysts listed favorite picks and debated storylines surrounding the draft.

Here’s what he said:

Give me a cornerback with an ultracompetitive playing style. You can win with that. Gladney’s aggressive coverage traits, toughness and ball production are an easy fit for coach Mike Zimmer’s defense. I can’t wait to watch him play in Minnesota.

I have heard a lot about Gladney’s aggressive style of play, which will be exciting to see. I think at worst, he’s probably the Vikings’ nickel corner next season, and he might even be one of the team’s starters out wide.