Tag: Pro Football Network

Two Vikings’ cornerbacks have been elite against the pass this season

Two new Vikings have played extremely well through five games in 2024 within Brian Flores’ scheme.

Minnesota made some splash signings this offseason to shore up the defense. The Vikings signed Blake Cashman, Jonathan Greenard, and Andrew Van Ginkel early before making the ultimate signing of Stephon Gilmore.

But one other signing that some fans weren’t super excited about was cornerback Shaq Griffin. Griffin has arguably been the Vikings’ best cornerback outside of Gilmore through five games.

According to Pro Football Network, the Vikings have two top cornerbacks against the pass. Griffin is the No. 3 corner in the NFL with the lowest passer rating allowed, with a 37.5 passer rating. Gilmore is 10th, with a 60.3 rating.

Through five games, Griffin has five pass deflections and an interception. Gilmore has three pass deflections plus an interception. Bryron Murphy Jr. leads all corners with 29 tackles, but his play has been up and down in 2024. Either way, the Minnesota secondary is head and shoulders better than what it was a season ago in the early going.

Vikings free agent signing deemed team’s worst contract by NFL analyst

Pro Football Network’s Dallas Robinson believes the signing of cornerback Shaquill Griffin in free agency is Minnesota’s worst contract.

Handing out bad contracts is something that every team’s front office dreads. However, it’s also unrealistic to think that there won’t be at least one bad contract on every team. Whether that’s due to simple poor performance, injuries derailing a career, or other external factors, it’s inevitable that a team regrets at least one contract.

For the Minnesota Vikings, that contract is recent free agent acquisition Shaquill Griffin, according to Pro Football Network’s Dallas Robinson. Robinson recently looked at every team’s roster and found the worst contract on each team, and this pick has less to do with Griffin himself and more to do with the circumstances surrounding it.

The Vikings had a clear need at the cornerback position, and Griffin was a solid option to fill that need. The Vikings also gave the veteran cornerback a modest deal, and just one year and slightly over $4.5 million. So why, then, is this deal for a former Pro Bowl cornerback deemed the team’s worst?

Robinson argues that this contract is the team’s worst because of the future ramifications the deal has. Namely that signing Griffin when the team did cancelled out one of the compensatory picks the team would have received in the 2025 NFL Draft for losing free agents Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter to the Falcons and Texans respectively.

Had the Vikings waited on signing Griffin until after the May 1st deadline, they would have been able to plug the hole in the secondary while also gaining the full slate of compensatory picks for next year’s draft — a draft where they’re already significantly strapped for capital.

The flip side of that argument is that, had the Vikings waited to sign Griffin, there’s no guarantee that he would have been on the free agent market when the team was ready to make a deal. Still, would that have been such a loss? Would the compensatory pick the Vikings sacrificed to sign Griffin have been better for the team in the long run? Only time will tell.

Despite position change, N’Keal Harry has a chance to be cut

Minnesota Vikings tight end N’Keal Harry is a prime candidate to be cut before the start of the season according to PFN’s Dakota Randall.

Training camp and the preseason are the time for both youngsters and veterans to make their marks with their teams and prove they belong. Some of those players are trying to do so while learning new positions — like Minnesota Vikings tight end N’Keal Harry.

Unfortunately, not all of those players can make rosters, and one media outlet sees Harry as a prime candidate to be cut before the season starts. Pro Football Network’s Dakota Randall looked around the league and identified one player from each who could be cut before the season starts.

Every team will have to reduce rosters to 53 before the start of the season, so many players are prime candidates for the waiver wire. For Minnesota, Harry jumps out to Randall as the most obvious candidate.

An infamous draft bust, N’Keal Harry now is trying to learn tight end after failing as a receiver. He has the size to play the position, but if he doesn’t show well in camp, he likely will be cut before landing on a practice squad to refine his tight end skills.

If there’s a glimmer of optimism in Harry’s situation, it’s that the Vikings are relatively thin at the position — at least when it comes to playmakers. Veteran T.J. Hockenson is likely to start the season on the PUP list, and the receiving options behind him are limited.

Minnesota brought in former Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears tight end Robert Tonyan to help fill the void in Hockenson’s absence, and he’ll likely be the starter if Hockenson isn’t ready to go to start the season. Behind Tonyan, there’s Josh Oliver, who is on the team more for his blocking prowess than his receiving ability.

That leaves Harry to battle for TE4 with Johnny Mundt and Nick Muse — provided the Vikings even keep four tight ends on the final roster, which isn’t a given. Harry is likely on the outside looking in to make the team, even with the absence of Hockenson.

Pro Football Network proposes Vikings sign Hunter Renfrow

The Minnesota Vikings are solid at the top two wide receiver spots, but could use help at WR3. Pro Football Network suggests Hunter Renfrow.

Justin Jefferson just became the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history and is firmly entrenched as the Minnesota Vikings top wide receiver — and arguably the best receiver in the NFL. Opposite him, Jordan Addison had an impressive rookie season and is looking to take a leap in his second season.

But beyond those two, there are some significant questions. As it stands today, the Vikings don’t have a clear-cut option as the third wide receiver in head coach Kevin O’Connell’s system. Brandon Powell and free agent acquisition Trent Sherfield figure to be the top options, but could there be better options out there? According to Lorenzo Reyna of Pro Football Network, the answer is yes: Hunter Renfrow.

In his piece detailing one free agent signing every team should make ahead of training camp, Reyna points out the precarious situation Minnesota is heading into camp with and thinks Renfrow provides the solution.

Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are the 1-2 punch, but Minnesota could use a No. 3.

Hunter Renfrow remains unsigned. Perhaps he can be the new Adam Thielen here, especially with J.J. McCarthy as the future under center.

Renfrow to the Vikings isn’t a new idea; he’s been a popular suggestion for the Vikings to help bolster the wide receiver corps since the NFL’s free agency period began. The fact that the Vikings haven’t pulled the trigger yet could indicate that they’re more comfortable with the situation at the position than fans and the media might believe.

Whether that’s true or not, it’s hard to argue with the fact that Renfrow would, at the very least, provide the team with some much-needed depth at the position. The competition would likely bring out the best in whoever winds up winning the battle and claiming the WR3 crown.

Mekhi Blackmon labeled a potential breakout candidate by PFN

Minnesota Vikings cornerback Mekhi Blackmon has been named a potential breakout candidate for the 2024 season by Tony Catalina of PFN.

The Minnesota Vikings’ defense was much improved over the 2023 season compared to the 2022 squad. The defensive scheme Brian Flores has employed with the team seems to have clicked and is starting to pay dividends. But the squad heads into the 2024 season with some significant questions on the defense, particularly in the cornerback room.

The Vikings signed former Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Shaquill Griffin in the off-season in the hopes that he can bolster the cornerback corps, return to his former Pro Bowl form, and provide some veteran leadership and mentorship for their rookie third-round pick, Khyree Jackson.

But another former third-round pick has caught the eye of some during mini-camps. Pro Football Network’s Tony Catalina examined every team heading into training camp and identified one potential breakout player from each. For the Vikings, Catalina’s pick is Mekhi Blackmon.

The Vikings entered the offseason with question marks at the CB position, and as the season creeps close, they still have some of those questions. However, Blackmon hopes to be the answer for them, and those around the team believe he can be. The young DB has a chance to make a name for himself in 2024 and solidify a unit that needs it.

Blackmon had an up-and-down start to his Vikings career in his rookie campaign of 2023. He had some solid stats, with 43 tackles, three tackles for loss, seven passes defended, and a fumble recovery. On the flip side, Blackmon could only garner three starts as a rookie even on a team that struggled at the position.

If Blackmon can step up in his sophomore season and become a reliable cover corner for the team, it would go a long way toward making the Vikings’ defense one of the best units in the league.

Latest 2025 NFL mock draft has Vikings in top ten, get secondary help

Pro Football Network’s NFL draft analyst Oliver Hodgkinson predicts another top-10 pick for the Vikings and gives them some CB help.

The 2024 NFL draft has come and gone, and in its wake, there’s been a lot of excitement around the Minnesota Vikings. After a disappointing season in 2023 marred by injuries, there’s a renewed sense of hope around the team and their new quarterback — first-round pick J.J. McCarthy.

McCarthy comes in and is charged with leading the Vikings into a new age, as is his fellow first-round pick Dallas Turner on the other side of the ball. As McCarthy comes in to replace long-time Viking Kirk Cousins, so too does Turner, replacing long-time star edge defender Danielle Hunter. It’s a time of a lot of turnover for the Vikings and an exciting new era. But how long before that new era starts to pay dividends for the team?

It won’t happen immediately, at least not according to the latest predictions from Pro Football Network. In their latest 2025 NFL mock draft, writer Oliver Hodgkinson uses the site’s predictive software to set the draft order, and it comes out with the Vikings picking sixth. A disappointing, but not altogether unpredictable, result.

So where do the Vikings go with another top-10 pick? Hodgkinson has the team getting more help in the defensive backfield with Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison. Here’s Hodgkinson’s analysis of the selection:

The addition of Shaq Griffin and multiple CBs in the previous draft cycle points to the Minnesota Vikings looking to upgrade their secondary. They do that in this 2025 NFL Mock Draft with Notre Dame standout Benjamin Morrison, a top-five prospect on the PFN Big Board. He closes space in a heartbeat and has the ball skills to routinely snag interceptions in the NFL.

Certainly, another top-10 pick isn’t what the fans want to see from a team that feels like it’s a quarterback away, but the reality is that this team’s development is going to take some time, and there are some significant holes on the roster yet that could hamper it.

However, if McCarthy develops the way fans and the coaching staff think, this prediction could look bad come next April.

Browns S Grant Delpit falls outside one analyst’s top-10 rankings

Delpit checked in at No. 12 on this list

More and more positional rankings come out this time of year, and Pro Football Network recently dropped their safety rankings. Coming off his best season as a pro in which he was a Pro Bowl alternate, Cleveland Browns safety Grant Delpit found himself outside the top 10 at No. 12.

Grant Delpit is an alignment-versatile safety who found a perfect role in Jim Schwartz’s Browns defense. He can play on the back end, but Delpit has flourished playing in the box and the slot. A weapon as a blitzer, Delpit’s athleticism and length have made him a coverage menace from the slot.

They got one thing right: Delpit was a fantastic chess piece for Jim Schwartz in 2024, a true weapon he deployed in so many different ways. He has the size and strength to deal with bigger and more physical pass catchers and tight ends but also great speed and athleticism to keep up with faster wide receivers.

In my mind, Delpit is in the top 10, not sitting outside it, but if he has another year this year like he did in 2023, everyone will have him much higher in their rankings.

Pro Football Network lists quarterback as Browns’ biggest weakness

Is the most important position in football the Browns weakest?

Rookie minicamp is next weekend as the Cleveland Browns begin preparations for the 2024 season. Pro Football Network recently released an article about each team’s weakest position group after the draft, and they listed quarterback as Cleveland’s.

“Deshaun Watson is capable of recapturing the form he showed with the Texans, and he is still just 28 years old. But Watson looked lost at times last season, and he finished the campaign by missing the final eight games due to an injured throwing shoulder.

The Cleveland Browns will be a Super Bowl contender if Watson plays well. But if he struggles again or suffers another injury, Cleveland will be forced to play Jamies Winston, who’s as talented as he is unreliable.”

It’s hard to argue with any of their points. Watson had flashes of his old self, but that’s it—just a few moments here and there. There is plenty of reason for optimism with how well he was trending before the injury, but until he consistently puts it on the field, that’s all it is: optimism and hope.

Nic Anderson among Pro Football Network’s top wideouts for 2025 NFL draft

Nic Anderson is receiving early love for the 2025 NFL Draft.

Oklahoma did not have a single skill player drafted in this year’s NFL draft, but Pro Football Network expects that to change for 2025.

We’re not even a week removed from the end of the 2024 NFL draft, but Pro Football Network is already at work crafting its way-too-early rankings for each position for next year’s draft.

After this year’s historic and talent-laden wide receiver group, next year may look underwhelming overall, but there’s still plenty of talent to be had next April. Fortunately, the Sooners have a player that is already considered one of the best at his position a year ahead of the 2025 NFL draft. Nic Anderson.

Redshirt sophomore receiver Nic Anderson checks in at No. 5 in Pro Football Network’s WR rankings. Anderson will be draft-eligible after this season, and the pass catcher is a rising star in college football.

Last season Anderson reeled in 38 catches for 798 yards and ten touchdowns. He was a touchdown-scoring machine and a big play threat every time he took the field.

His excellent speed, long strides, and ability to make things happen after the catch make him an enticing prospect. Size-wise, he stands 6-foot-4 and clocks in at 210 pounds.

Anderskn will likely need to showcase improved route running and an enhanced focus on reeling in routine catches. Still, it’s impossible not to see the tools and why draft analysts may be salivating at what Anderson can become over the next year.

Jackson Arnold will play a pivotal role in how Anderson looks to scouts this upcoming year. The sophomore quarterback is set to enter his first season as the starting quarterback. It will be interesting to see what rapport Arnold builds with Anderson as the season kicks off. Early in 2023, the two seemed to work well together, connecting on a number of deep balls, including this touchdown against Tulsa. They also hooked up for a highlight reel touchdown in Arnold’s first start during the Valero Alamo Bowl.

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Vikings move up for their quarterback in latest PFN mock draft

Tony Catalina of Pro Football Network has the Minnesota Vikings trading up to #3 in the 2024 NFL draft to take quarterback Drake Maye.

The NFL scouting combine has come and gone, and with it an important piece of the NFL draft puzzle has been filled. Now that teams have the measurements and athletic testing numbers for prospects, they can adjust their draft boards accordingly. A lot of things have changed since the pre-combine mocks, but one thing that hasn’t — at least for Pro Football Network — is the Minnesota Vikings’ need for a quarterback.

The latest mock draft from PFN by writer Tony Catalina has the Vikings being aggressive to fill that need. In his latest, Catalina has the Vikings trading up to the #3 spot to take North Carolina’s Drake Maye. Here’s Catalina’s analysis of the selection:

Drake Maye has some real fans around the league, with multiple teams putting the North Carolina QB on the same level as Williams.

The Vikings share that feeling in this scenario, packaging their first-round pick and other high-ranking selections to swap with the New England Patriots to get their guy.

Maye looks to be the future in Minnesota regardless of what happens with Kirk Cousins, and the Vikings are aggressive in this 2024 NFL Mock Draft to secure the face of their franchise.

According to Catalina, the cost to move up for the Vikings would be their first-round pick, #11, along with their second-round pick, #42, and a first-round pick next year in 2025. Most importantly, the Vikings would keep wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who has been the center of trade rumors recently.

It would be an aggressive move for the Vikings, but if Kirk Cousins isn’t going to be back, it’s a necessary one. Even if Cousins comes back, he’s an aging quarterback coming off a major injury. The plan for the future at QB has to be put into place eventually…what better time than the present?