Cornerback
Mike Zimmer will be a happy man next draft season because his team will definitely be on the prowl for a young cornerback.
Right now the Vikings are pretty deep at the position. They have a great duo of starters in Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes. Then emerging Mackensie Alexander is the nickel with promising second-year Mike Hughes coming back after his ACL injury last season.
Minnesota even goes deeper with surprising Holton Hill being the fifth man on the depth chart. They also added Kris Boyd in this year’s draft and they have a few unproven guys on the roster who could potentially emerge next season in Craig James and Duke Thomas.
That is impressive depth for 2019, but unfortunately, it could all come crashing down for the Vikings after the season.
Both Waynes and Alexander will be free agents in 2020. Obviously, with Rob Breziznski in the front office, you can’t definitively say Minnesota won’t find a way to re-sign at least one of these guys. But the team will likely be strapped for cash and they could possibly lose both next year.
Then there is the problem with Hill. This guy had a troubled career at Texas and he now finds himself suspended for the first four games of the season. He will be on a short leash in 2019 and another screw up could cost him his roster spot.
So suddenly the Vikings’ corner depth gets real skinny real quick. Fans need to be ready for another early round choice on a cornerback in 2020. This time around they should embrace it, as it is an area where Minnesota will need to add a talented young body.