Corner depth
Heading into the 2019 season the Vikings looked very strong at cornerback. They were four deep with Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, Mackensie Alexander, and Holton Hill. They also had Mike Hughes waiting in the wings as he recovered from a torn ACL.
This depth was tested before the start of this year’s training camp though. Hill got slapped with two separate four-game suspensions and Hughes wasn’t able to practice with the team in camp because of his injured knee. Suddenly Minnesota’s once deep unit looked very thin.
It is good news that Hughes was recently activated from the PUP list. What is a bit worrisome though is the fact that he hasn’t seen the field in almost a year.
Another major concern is if an injury strikes this unit, especially in the early portions of the season. The Vikings’ reserves at corner features a lot of inexperience in with rookies Kris Boyd and Mark Fields.
Both are still figuring things out and they will be learning on the job this season. For a team like Minnesota who is ready to contend now, this is a huge liability and targeting these rookies often is something opposing offenses would likely do if either were to see live game action this year.