Minnesota Vikings Draft 2017: Final rankings and grades – Defense
By Jordan Reid
| Prospect Name | School | Rank | Height | Weight | Round Grade |
| Marshon Lattimore | Ohio State | 1 | 6-0 | 195 | 1 |
| Gareon Conley | Ohio State | 2 | 6-0 | 195 | 1 (pre-incident) |
| Marlon Humphrey | Alabama | 3 | 6-1 | 196 | 1 |
| Tre’Davious White | LSU | 4 | 5-11 | 192 | 2 |
| Fabian Moreau | UCLA | 5 | 6-0 | 200 | 2 (post-injury) |
| Chidobe Awuzie | Colorado | 6 | 5-11 | 205 | 2 |
| Kevin King | Washington | 7 | 6-3 | 192 | 2 |
| Jourdan Lewis | Michigan | 8 | 5-10 | 186 | 2-3 |
| Sidney Jones | Washington | 9 | 6-0 | 181 | 2-3 (post-injury) |
| Jalen Tabor | Florida | 10 | 6-0 | 201 | 2-3 |
| Cordrea Tankersley | Clemson | 11 | 6-0 | 200 | 2-3 |
| Ahkello Witherspoon | Colorado | 12 | 6-2 | 195 | 2-3 |
| Quincy Wilson | Florida | 13 | 6-0 | 210 | 3 |
| Corn Elder | Miami (Fla.) | 14 | 5-10 | 175 | 3 |
| Adoree’ Jackson | Southern California | 15 | 5-11 | 185 | 3 |
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Sidney Jones – Washington
A part of one of the best secondaries in the entire country, Jones was arguably the best of the bunch. Having another consistent season in his third year as a starter. Jones has the rare combination of patience and ability to mirror receivers in man-to-man coverage.
He’s never one to force the issue, instead he reacts to the receivers movements and is rarely wrong. He was dealt a tough blow during his pro day workout where he suffered a torn achilles. His draft stock is unknown to this point and many expect for Jones to be a late second or early third-round selection.
Age: 20 (5/21/1996)
NFL Comparison: Jason Verrett
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Jalen “Teez” Tabor – Florida
Arguably one of the many prospects who hasn’t done themselves any favors during this draft process is Tabor. His combine interviews were reportedly poor and on top of that, he recorded a 4.62 40-yard dash time. A time that’s below average for a cornerback. There were already questions about his recovery speed and his 40-time supported those concerns.
Despite that, Tabor is best suited as cover two or slot corner. In both of those positions Tabor’s flaws will not be fully exposed, instead he will be able to maximize his strengths, which is his hip flexibility and getting his hands on receivers at the line of scrimmage.
Age: 23 (12/31/1995)
NFL Comparison: Joe Haden
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Cordrea Tankersley – Clemson
A prospect that got better as the year went along was Tankersley. Part of a national championship winning secondary, he shined the brightest among a talented group of defensive backs.
Tankersley excels in man-to-man coverage when he is able to get his hands on receivers immediately. He’s not extremely sticky in man coverage, but he looks most comfortable in a man scheme.
Tankersley’s biggest issue is he becomes a bit grabby at times and it results in him repeatedly getting penalties. Being grabby is a big issue that many college press-man corners face when transitioning to the next level, but many are able to overcome it. With proper coaching, there’s no reason why Tankersley won’t be able to get rid of his bad habit.
Age: 23 (11/19/1993)
NFL Comparison: Xavier Rhodes
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Corn Elder – Miami
Scrappy. Its the one word to describe Elder. Primarily playing as a nickel corner, he is an offense’s nightmare. He’s like a gnat that will never go away. Elder isn’t the biggest CB, but he is feisty and isn’t scared to tackle. His coverage skills are outstanding as he frequently stays hip-to-hip with tight ends and slot receivers.
He’s a player that isn’t afraid to mix it up and has an alpha mentality. Elder doesn’t play like his stature suggests. He provides value at nickel, which is a position that is rapidly growing due to NFL offenses using more open sets. He also plays special teams, which is a plus.
Age: 22 (10/9/1994)
NFL Comparison: Antoine Winfield