The Minnesota Vikings were serious about getting cornerbacks and drafted their third player at the position in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Day 3 of the 2020 NFL Draft has seen the Minnesota Vikings on the clock often. With 13 picks heading into the day, the team had the ability to fill their roster with talented players or move picks around to do just about anything they wanted.
In the fifth round, the purple and gold traded with the Chicago Bears for a 2021 fourth-round pick, but Minnesota still had two selections left in the round to add talent. When the Vikings were on the clock with pick No. 169, they chose Temple cornerback Harrison Hand.
This draft has seen Minnesota load up on corners, taking Jeff Gladney in the first round, Cameron Dantzler in the third, and now Hand in the fifth round. These picks prove how serious the team was about adding talent at the position this offseason.
Standing at 5-foot-11 and weighing 197 pounds, Hand spent his first two NCAA seasons at Baylor before spending his junior year with Temple. In those three seasons, the cornerback played in 31 games where he racked up 114 total tackles to go with 16 pass defenses, 5.5 tackles for a loss, four interceptions, and one forced fumble.
The Vikings should like his physical style at the line of scrimmage and solid tackling ability. This should make him an immediate impact player on special teams while he adjusts to the NFL level as a cornerback.
Congratulations to Temple cornerback Harrison Hand on being drafted by the Vikings in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Hopefully, he can find a role with the team and help the team return to the playoffs during the 2020 NFL season.