5 breakout players for the Minnesota Vikings in 2018

4. Mackensie Alexander – CB

Alexander was taken by the Vikings in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Many in the draft community thought Minnesota got a steal with this former Clemson Tiger, as he was widely considered by most to be a late first-round choice.

He had a slow start to his career with the Vikings, looking lost when he was out on the field and when he did find a man to cover, he usually mauled him and got a yellow flag thrown in his direction.

During his first two seasons in the league, Alexander racked up just 20 tackles and he had zero starts. Some fans and the media were ready to slap the bust label on him, but the lights came one for the young corner last season.

Injuries to Minnesota’s starting cornerbacks, gave Alexander more chances to play, as he appeared in 15 games and started in six of them. He really found his niche as a blitzer off the edge, making some big-time sacks and sparking the Vikings’ defense.

Alexander finished 2018 with a career-high 43 tackles and four sacks. He went from being on the verge of a total bust to being a solid contributor on Minnesota’s defense and he showed flashes of why the Vikings used a second-round draft choice on him.