3 Vikings needs the draft can fix and 2 needs free agency can fix in 2023
By Luke Parrish
Vikings need to continue adding cornerbacks in the draft
Cornerback is arguably the most challenging position to play in the NFL. Landing a superstar in the secondary is not an easy task, but the payoff when it finally works out is well worth the investment. Despite taking cornerbacks early in nearly every draft in the past decade, the Vikings should continue to spend resources cleaning up their defense.
Next season, Minnesota is probably going to trot out Andrew Booth Jr., Akayleb Evans, Cameron Dantzler, and potentially Patrick Peterson as the top four cornerbacks on the roster. While the upside of that bunch is promising, the risk of injury and inconsistency is too much. They must continue to get better.
Luckily for the Vikings, the 2023 draft is absolutely loaded at cornerback. One could argue that cornerback is the deepest position in the class, and it also has top-end talent that warrants a heavy look as the Vikings head into the draft process.
There are currently more than five corners that can go realistically go in the first round: Cam Smith, Joey Porter Jr., Christian Gonzalez, Devon Witherspoon, Clark Phillips III, Kelee Ringo, and Jaylon Jones.
Some other hybrid players like Brian Branch and Antonio Johnson could also sneak into the first round. This class is remarkable at a major position of need for the Vikings. At some point in this draft, they should jump at the idea of taking another young playmaker for their secondary.