Minnesota Vikings: 5 training camp battles to watch in 2020
By Luke Parrish
Minnesota Vikings Battle No. 4: Cornerback
Mike Hughes is the only returning starter at cornerback for the Vikings in 2020. He has battled his share of injuries already in his young career, giving reasonable cause for worry.
Jeff Gladney will be a starter right out of the gate as he begins his NFL career, but it is a matter of where. He will be a great fit in the slot but he has the tools and ferocity to play outside as well. Minnesota can experiment throughout camp and find ways to mix it up with Hughes and Gladney.
Holton Hill has to show that he can stay on the field and out of trouble, but he has some potential as an outside starter moving forward. Kris Boyd took strides on special teams last season but still hasn’t seen much time on defense.
With Gladney and Hughes locking up two spots, that still leaves an open spot for the majority of the defensive snaps. The Vikings play with three or four corners on the field a lot, with four cornerbacks playing at least 45 percent of defensive snaps last season.
Cameron Dantzler, a third-round pick in 2020, will be in the mix on the outside when Hughes or Gladney slide to the nickel. Harrison Hand will join him in that competition, but there is no front-runner for the third cornerback at the moment.
The Vikings have a lot of work to do in the secondary before the 2020 NFL season begins. They lost a lot of cornerbacks from last season and will need to find a way to replace them.