5 cornerbacks the Vikings should already be thinking about for 2022
By Luke Parrish
Darious Williams (Free Agency)
Not every signing has to be for the CB1 of the future. The Vikings made several moves in 2021 to fill the depth at cornerback and give them bodies at each of the starting spots. Slot/nickel cornerbacks and No. 2 corners are equally as valuable as the top guy on a defense. After all, a team is only as good as its weakest link.
Darious Williams has quietly been a force for the Rams on the opposite side of Jalen Ramsey. Ramsey may make life easier on his teammates, but that doesn’t negate the value of Williams in the secondary.
He recorded four interceptions a season ago but has spent time on the injured reserve in 2021. For the right price, Williams is going to remain a very strong No. 2 CB for whichever team lands him in free agency. His lack of size and physicality in the run game is something that turns me off on him as a potential Vikings target, but his ball skills and athleticism make up for that in a big way.
Williams would be the perfect candidate to serve as the mentor and bridge corner for a rookie, which I will get into later. Pairing him with another youngster who can hold his own as the No.1 would be a massive win for the Vikings this offseason.
It would save the team some money as opposed to going after the big-ticket options while also leaving the door open for a first-round pick to be spent on a building block for the secondary.