Minnesota felt like it needed to beef up its secondary heading into the 2024 season. Not so much at safety. The Vikings have a trio of safeties that could compete with anyone, but they had plenty of ups and downs with their cornerback play in 2023.
Outside of Byron Murphy, there was too much inconsistency for the Vikings’ cornerbacks. Not only did Minnesota draft Oregon corner Khyree Jackson, but the Vikings also went out and signed 28-year-old free agent Shaq Griffin. Griffin, a former UCF Knight, had a solid start to his NFL career playing with the Seattle Seahawks for four seasons, but since then, Griffin has bounced around the league, playing for three different teams in four years.
Playing under a Brian Flores-led defense could get Griffin playing at a high level once again, and if you read into minicamp — maybe it will.
According to Alec Lewis with The Athletic, Griffin was one of the better players for the Vikings during minicamp. He stood out playing against guys like Justin Jefferson — who got into a jawing match with one another. Obviously, Griffin isn’t on the same level as Jefferson, but his energy and confidence are both high right now.
If Minnesota can get respectable play out of Griffin in 2024, it could make for big things from the Vikings’ secondary.
