5 cornerbacks the Vikings could select in the 2019 NFL Draft
By Nik Edlund
Joejuan Williams (Vanderbilt)
- Size: 6-foot-4, 211 pounds
- 2018 Stats: 61 Tackles, 4 INTs, 13 Pass Breakups
Corners don’t come much bigger than this man from Vanderbilt. Joejuan Williams is an intimidating 6’4 and 211 pounds. For a man so big he actually moves quite well and has good overall speed and quickness. He can match up physically with any receiver he faces and shows good overall instincts.
With Williams being as big as he is, one would think he’d be a very physical hitter. While he does fine tackling and supporting the run, he’s more of a wrap-up and throw kind of tackler. One thing that could get Williams in trouble at the next level is the way he goes for pass breakups. He likes to have the ball hit the receiver’s hands before swatting it away. That may work in college but NFL receivers are going to make that catch 95% of the time and have the hand strength to hold on despite Williams best efforts to get it loose. He’ll just need some coaching up to get out of that bad habit.
Williams is probably a Round 3 prospect. While that’s still probably a little early for the team to take a cornerback, it all depends on who is on the board and what type of value presents itself. If there aren’t any receivers, linebackers, or defensive tackles worth taking, the Vikings could look to address a secondary need like cornerback. If they see Williams and his God-given size available, he’d be a solid choice and has the potential to develop into a starting caliber NFL cover man.