Minnesota Vikings: Five players flying under the radar

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 19: Cooper Kupp #18 of the Los Angeles Rams fumbles the ball on the goal line in the second quarter of the game against the Minnesota Vikings on November 19, 2017 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Anthony Harris #41 of the Minnesota Vikings recovered the ball. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 19: Cooper Kupp #18 of the Los Angeles Rams fumbles the ball on the goal line in the second quarter of the game against the Minnesota Vikings on November 19, 2017 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Anthony Harris #41 of the Minnesota Vikings recovered the ball. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 6
Next
LANDOVER, MD - NOVEMBER 12: Cornerback
Mackensie Alexander #20 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates deflecting a pass during the fourth quarter against the Washington Redskins at FedExField on November 12, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

Mackensie Alexander

Last year, Mackensie Alexander accepted a challenge to be the nickel corner for the Vikings that didn’t quite match well with his skill set and physical ability. For a second-year player who was a second-round draft pick, that’s quite a transition to make.

Despite rarely playing on the outside, Alexander found himself on the field for 323 defensive plays where he racked up 15 tackles, 6 pass defenses, and one interception, a major improvement from his rookie campaign.

The drafting of Mike Hughes to be the team’s nickel corner means that Alexander can once again be free to play on the outside against receivers where he can be more comfortable and familiar yet still have a year of experience at nickel under his belt.

Alexander being able to take the field in just about any situation as a corner makes him valuable and his confidence and skill set will continue to develop under head coach Mike Zimmer. Plus, being part of a group of corners with Trae Waynes and Xavier Rhodes can make a young cornerback a big target for opposing quarterbacks.