10 best Vikings cornerbacks drafted in the first three rounds
By Tim Arcand
Players of Interest
To start the list, are a couple of players that did not make it in the top 10 of the ranking but are still of some interest to Minnesota Vikings’ fans.
Mike Hughes
- First Round (2018)
One of only three cornerbacks on the roster with any experience, Mike Hughes ranks 17th on the list. A first-round draft pick of the Vikings in 2018 from UCF, Hughes’ rookie season was limited to only six games due to a knee injury.
In his NFL debut against the 49ers, Hughes returned his first-career interception for a touchdown. With only 20 games and five starts in two seasons, Hughes will easily climb this ranking with more games played in the coming seasons—especially with him projected to be one of the two starters when the season opens. If the Vikings are to have any kind of success with their pass defense, Hughes will need to play a big part in it.
Mackensie Alexander
- Second Round (2016)
Mackensie Alexander joined the Vikings as a second-round draft pick in 2016 from Clemson. It took three seasons before he started a game in 2018, finishing with six starts. In four seasons with the Vikings, Alexander played in 55 games with 10 starts.
Last season he established himself as the slot corner and was arguably the best cornerback on the Vikings, with a completion rate of 65.5 percent—lower than Trae Waynes (74.0) or Xavier Rhodes (81.5). He leaves the Vikings with two interceptions.
This March the Cincinnati Bengals signed him to a one-year contract worth $4 million.
Joey Browner
- First Round (1983)
The Vikings selected Joey Browner from the University of Southern California with the 19th pick in the first round of the 1983 draft. Browner spent nine seasons with the Vikings, seven of them starting at safety.
He made an immediate impact as a rookie on special teams making only one start that season. In his second year, he started eight games at cornerback before moving full-time to safety in 1985—his first of six straight Pro-Bowl seasons.
While not included in this ranking, Browner fared quite well in the list of the best safety duos in Vikings history.