4 free agents the Vikings should already be thinking about for 2023
By Adam Patrick
Jamel Dean – CB
2022 Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In terms of weaknesses for the Vikings this season, the team’s secondary is arguably at the top of the list.
Minnesota just invested a pair of picks in the 2022 NFL Draft in two cornerbacks with the selections of Andrew Booth Jr. and Akayleb Evans. But we’ve barely seen Booth and Evans play this season and there’s no guarantee that they’ll be ready for larger roles in 2023.
Let’s also just assume that the Vikings aren’t going to bring back Patrick Peterson after the current season. Minnesota is going to need a replacement for Peterson and Jamel Dean would be a great choice to take his spot on the roster.
Dean is currently the sixth-best graded corner in the league by PFF and he’s been among PFF’s top-graded cornerbacks ever since he entered the NFL in 2019.
Given his abilities and the fact that he will only be 26-years-old at the end of the season, Dean is likely going to be highly sought-after in free agency in 2023. But if the Vikings can figure out a way to get him to join their roster next year, then that would be huge for their defense next season.