Minnesota Vikings: Is it time for Trae Waynes to be a starter?
By Adam Carlson
Cornerback Trae Waynes was a first round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2015 NFL Draft, but he played a reserve role. Is he ready to start in 2016?
When the Minnesota Vikings selected Michigan State University cornerback Trae Waynes with the 11th overall selection in the 2015 NFL Draft, many fans expected him to jump into a starting role for the team. Instead, Waynes found himself taking some time to learn the position as a backup.
With the status of 2015 starting cornerback Terence Newman up in the air for next season, the focus at cornerback has turned to Trae Waynes. According to 1500 ESPN, Waynes played only 18.1 percent of defensive snaps last year, and odds are that he will have to play a bigger role in 2016.
The play of Waynes in 2015 was up-and-down. Much like fellow cornerback Xavier Rhodes, the physical nature of the rookie caused several holding and defensive pass interference penalties, but as the season went on, he continued improve and show encouragement that he could be ready to take over the starting job.
Here are Trae Waynes’ stats for the 2015 season:
- 30 combined tackles
- 4 passes defended
Perhaps Waynes’ best game was the Minnesota Vikings’ Wild Card playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks. During that game, he defended two passes, including intercepting one pass from Russell Wilson that he returned for 24 yards. When you sprinkle in four tackles, you could call his playoff appearance the best game of his career.
Ending the season on a high note was great for the potential of Waynes, but the question of whether or not he’ll be starting opposite Xavier Rhodes during the 2016 season is still up in the air.
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With the success of other members from the Minnesota Vikings 2015 draft class like Eric Kendricks and Danielle Hunter, it will be a big step for the team if Trae Waynes can be a strong, dependable starting cornerback next year. Considering the investment that the Vikings have made in Waynes, anything other than a starting gig in 2016 would be disappointing.