The 2023 season is inching closer and closer by the day and we here at Vikings Wire are previewing the season from every angle. Today, we continue profiling the Minnesota Vikings roster on the defensive side of the football.
We are currently writing player profiles on each Viking on the roster with projections for what their 2023 season could look like. How things look projecting forward is where the real intrigue lies.
Leading up to training camp, we will be looking at each position from a more in-depth perspective. Today, we will be looking at the edge rushers.
The room
Performance in 2022
The best cornerbacks for the Vikings last season are no longer on the team. Duke Shelley and Patrick Peterson were Pro Football Focus’ third and fourth-ranked cornerbacks in coverage.
The returning cornerbacks were either practice squad guys in Tay Gowan and Kalon Barnes or injured rookies in Andrew Booth Jr. and Akayleb Evans. When Booth played, he struggled under Ed Donatell, but he was always viewed as a project. Evans showed flashes of greatness in his rookie season, but he still looked like a rookie. Having three concussions makes him difficult to project moving forward.
Expectations in 2023
Expectations for this group aren’t very high, but they are for the major free agency acquisition Byron Murphy Jr. He was signed to be the top cornerback for the Vikings after four years in Arizona. The interesting thing with Murphy is how the Vikings plan to use him. With his size and experience playing in the slot, the Vikings will be moving him all over the back end of the defense to create advantageous matchups.
The three young cornerbacks all have massive expectations, but health is the biggest question mark with Booth (knee) and Evans (concussion). If they stay healthy, there is a lot of talent to groom. Their strength is with man coverage and they will be afforded the ability to grow with Flores putting them in positions to succeed.
Blackmon is a different beast. He was the final pick in the third round and fits the mold for what Flores likes in his cornerbacks. He is aggressive and has that mentality in droves.
Williams is the wildcard of this group. He is 6’3″ and 215 lbs with the length to be a disruptor. If he makes the team, Williams can make an impact, especially in off-man coverage. He did miss all of 2022 with a shoulder injury so that will be a concern.
What does the future of the room look like?
The future of the room is the three draft picks and Murphy, but their performance this season will tell the Vikings how set their future is. Injuries are a massive issue for this group and could force the Vikings to go with a cornerback in round one of next year’s NFL draft.
There is a scenario that the Vikings have their top four cornerbacks for the next 2-3 years on reasonably priced contracts if they all hit (the talent is there), but the issue is that’s not a likely outcome. If even one of the three draft picks hits, it’s a win for the Vikings.
Previous state of the roster
Quarterback
Running back
Wide receiver
Tight end
Offensive tackle
Interior offensive line
Defensive line
Edge rushers
Inside linebacker
