6 Minnesota Vikings players who might have already peaked

Mackensie Alexander – CB

Acquiring Mackensie Alexander after one season away from the team could be a shrewd bit of business by the Vikings. Things didn’t go according to plan for the cornerback on the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020, which was not unexpected considering the problems that enveloped the franchise over the course of the campaign.

It didn’t take much to convince Alexander that returning to more familiar surroundings was the best thing for his career. In truth, he shouldn’t have ever left.

Alexander’s presence was missed last season within a secondary that was devoid of any real experience. That is not the case in 2021 thanks to some notable additions, but only time will tell as to whether the Vikings saw the best of the former Clemson standout during his first stint with the organization.

Although there were mitigating circumstances behind Alexander’s indifferent production in Cincinnati, it is still a concern. The Bengals were woeful from a defensive standpoint in 2020 and it won’t take long for the Vikings to find out just how much of that was down to the 2016 second-round pick.

All Minnesota needs from Alexander is to make a smooth transition back into the nickel cornerback role and reach the sort of level we saw from the player in 2019. It might not sound like much, but it’s a sizable task.