6 former Vikings who still need a team for the 2022 season
By Adam Patrick
Xavier Rhodes – CB
2021 Team: Indianapolis Colts
Lockdown cornerbacks are not very prevalent in today’s NFL, but Xavier Rhodes can proudly say that he was one of these during his time in the league.
However, Rhodes is no longer a lockdown corner and he really hasn’t been one since the 2017 season with the Vikings. He’s still been a solid cornerback since then, he just hasn’t played at the same elite level that was on display when he was in a Minnesota uniform in 2017.
For the last two seasons, Rhodes has suited up for the Colts and he’s been on the field more than any other corner on the team’s roster not named Kenny Moore.
After experiencing a bit of a rejuvenation in 2020 with Indianapolis when he graded as PFF’s ninth-best cornerback in the NFL, Rhodes came back down to earth last season.
He saw his PFF grade slip to 64th among corners in the league and he reminded people why the Vikings were okay with moving on from him after the 2019 campaign.
Rhodes will be 32-years-old in June, and at this point in his career, he has value as a veteran leader and as someone who can improve the depth of a team’s group of cornerbacks.