Former Vikings first-round pick getting a second chance in the NFC West

Selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, cornerback Jeff Gladney has signed a deal with the Arizona Cardinals.

Last week, former Minnesota Vikings cornerback Jeff Gladney was found not guilty of felony domestic violence, a charge that ultimately resulted in him missing the entire 2021 season after the Vikings decided to release him last August. On Wednesday, Gladney was given a second chance to play in the NFL by the Arizona Cardinals.

On the first day of the new league year, the Cardinals and Gladney agreed to a two-year contract. The former Vikings cornerback will likely compete for a starting role in Arizona, and at the very least, he will provide his new team with some solid depth in the secondary.

Still only 25-years-old, Gladney has a ton of upside, and he certainly has the talent to develop into a very good cornerback in the NFL. Now, he just has to stay out of trouble and make the most of this opportunity with the Cardinals.

Jeff Gladney signing with Arizona Cardinals serves as a reminder about the lack of Minnesota Vikings cornerback talent

Two years ago, Minnesota added Gladney and former Mississippi State cornerback Cameron Dantzler in the 2020 NFL Draft. After their rookie seasons, it looked like these two could develop into a solid starting cornerback duo for the Vikings.

But then Gladney was released and Dantzler was benched in favor of two underwhelming veteran corners in 2021.

Currently, Dantzler is at the top of a Minnesota cornerback group that includes Kris Boyd, Harrison Hand, and Parry Nickerson. They’re not exactly the next Legion of Boom.

One would like to think that new Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will address this position this offseason in both free agency and during the 2022 NFL Draft.

Corners continue to be selected by Minnesota with their top pick in the majority of 2022 mock drafts, but they could use some veteran leadership for the group as well.

Unfortunately, the Vikings don’t have a ton of money to spend on new players this year. So Adofo-Mensah will need to be creative in order to improve a cornerback group that was among the NFL’s worst in 2021.