4 draft prospects Brian Flores might want for the Vikings defense in 2023
By Clay Vasquez
Joey Porter Jr. – CB (Penn State)
The Vikings are incredibly lucky that in the year when they are in dire need of cornerback help, one of the deepest cornerback classes in recent memory is at their fingertips.
There is immense talent at the corner position in the 2023 draft, so don’t worry too much if the Vikings go a different route in the first round, as there are still solid players that should be there as the draft rolls along.
If Minnesota does go ahead and select a cornerback in the first round, they should have their fair share of great talent to choose from, even if some of the top guys like Devon Witherspoon and Christian Gonzalez are off the board.
Joey Porter Jr. could be another corner who is taken ahead of the Vikings’ selection, but the range in which draft experts have him going is right in Minnesota’s wheelhouse.
Before the hiring of Brian Flores, a lot of mock drafts had South Carolina corner Cam Smith going to the Vikings, and while he’d still be an excellent choice, the change in defensive philosophy may switch some things up.
Smith is a fine corner, but he has a small frame that could potentially struggle in Brian Flores’ aggressive defense that leaves corners on an island. Porter is a few inches taller than Smith, and a few pounds heavier, making him a better build for the Vikings’ tough defense.
Porter is an absolute stud, and he would quickly become Minnesota’s No. 1 cornerback as soon as he enters the facility. With young corners Andrew Booth Jr. and Akayleb Evans on the roster, the Vikings could choose to give them a chance before taking a corner in the first round, but if Porter is there, Minnesota needs to make that move.