The Minnesota Vikings come off their Week 6 bye with the second-best pass defense in the NFL (157.6 yards allowed per game). But what has lacked compared to last season, outside of a boom game in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals, is takeaways. Take out that game, and the Vikings have two takeaways over their other four games so far this season.
Cornerback Isaiah Rodgers has been what defensive coordinator Brian Flores envisioned him being so far, but Byron Murphy would ideally be able to play more in the slot than he has. The reclamation project of Jeff Okudah has not worked out, with just a 45.9 PFF coverage grade so far, with seven completions allowed on seven targets in his coverage. If he had enough snaps to qualify, that would be a bottom-10 coverage grade among 109 qualified cornerbacks through Week 6.
As the trade deadline nears, adding a cornerback may be on general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's radar. How big a move is made on that front may be the only question, but it's unclear if whatever move might be made would fix a long-term issue at cornerback.
With that eye on the future, the 2026 draft lands on the radar for finding a cornerback.
The Minnesota Vikings look to fill out secondary in new 2026 mock draft
ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid authored a new 2026 mock draft this week. With the 16th overall pick, he had the Vikings selecting Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell.
"The Vikings have been better at cornerback than expected, with Byron Murphy Jr. and free agent hit Isaiah Rodgers standing out. But they're still lacking long-term solutions on the outside. Terrell -- the younger brother of veteran Falcons corner A.J. Terrell Jr. -- is a tough prospect with an ability to make plays on the ball. He would be a welcome addition to Brian Flores' defense. Terrell has 24 pass breakups and three interceptions over three seasons.
If Terrell's name sounds familiar, it might be because Bleacher Report had the Vikings taking him in a very early 2026 mock draft back in August. The potential fit holds up.
After a breakthrough in his first full season as a starter last year (58 total tackles, 12 pass breakups, five tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and two interceptions, Terrell has 25 total tackles, six pass breakups, one sack, and 2.5 tackles for loss so far this season. His PFF grades are across the board very good through six games, with a dose of versatility (54 snaps in the slot, 45 snaps in the box) to fortify his fit in Flores' defense.
If the Vikings end up with a clear top need as next April's draft nears, it might be cornerback. The stars might also align where the best player available when they go on the clock in the first round is a cornerback, be it Terrell or someone else.