5 prospects the Vikings could miss out on without a second-round pick
By Nik Edlund
Asante Samuel Jr. – CB (Florida State)
Cornerback isn’t a huge need for the Vikings as they will have two exciting starters next year in Jeff Gladney and Cameron Dantzler. These two learned a ton in their rookie seasons and they will be better for it in 2021.
The question is how the rest of Minnesota’s cornerback depth chart will shake out. Mike Hughes’ return to the team is a question mark. If he does come back, he’ll likely be the favorite to be the Vikings slot corner. But with his injury history, he can’t be relied on to make it through the entire 2021 campaign.
Fellow Minnesota corners Kris Boyd and Harrison Hand should also be in the mix for playing time next season as both flashed potential in 2020.
Even though the Vikings’ cornerbacks will be more experienced heading into the 2021 campaign, they could still use one more playmaker. If Minnesota still had their second-round pick in this year’s draft and Asante Samuel Jr. was still on the board, he’d be a player they’d have to think long and hard about taking.
Samuel obviously has great bloodlines and he grew up around the game of football. In addition to that high football IQ, he’s extremely talented from a physical standpoint.
Samuel has great instincts and he knows when to go up and get the ball or time a hit to knock it loose. What is most impressive about him is that for a little guy, he is very physical. This cat isn’t afraid to deliver a hit and wrestle down the ball-carrier. He also knows how to take out much bigger ball-carriers by attacking their legs.
He’d be a great fit in the Vikings secondary, but he will likely be drafted in the second round this year, making his career in purple an impossibility.