Getty Derek Stingley Jr. was recently named the Vikings' top draft target by Bleacher Report.
For a second straight season, the Minnesota Vikings secondary has been the bane of the team’s success.
In the 2020 offseason, the Vikings tried to remedy all three of their starting cornerbacks leaving by drafting first-round pick Jeff Gladney and third-rounder Cameron Dantzler.
We’ve seen how that’s gone. Gladney is no longer rostered in the NFL after being charged with family violence assault, while Dantzler remains buried as a backup behind three veterans who signed this past offseason.
The problem is those veteran replacements — Patrick Peterson, Bashaud Breeland and Mackensie Alexander — haven’t been the answer either. All three veteran starters are on expiring contracts, leaving Minnesota likely to go back to the draft board to fix its cornerbacks corps.
Bleacher Report recently named the Vikings’ top draft target, which garnered an intriguing comparison to a two-time All-Pro cornerback.
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Shades of Stephen Gilmore in LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox named LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. as the Vikings’ top draft prospect approaching the 2022 draft.
Stingley, the top-ranked cornerback in his draft class, is a projected top-five pick and has even been argued to be a potential No. 1 overall prospect in a rare year where a quarterback may not be taken first overall.
He’s shown why he warrants that high of a pick since starting as a true freshman. He led the Tigers with six interceptions and accounted for 30 tackles while helping LSU roll to an undefeated season and a national championship.
“Stingley Jr. has elite speed and fluid hips that allow him to match wide receivers step for step in and out of breaks while also possessing a rare instinctual ability to intercept passes thrown his way. Stingley Jr.’s elite athleticism and rare ball skills make him a generational talent at cornerback,” The Draft Network’s Keith Sanchez wrote.
Sanchez compared Stingley to Carolina Panthers cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who earned two All-Pro mentions with the New England Patriots.
Stingley may not realistically be on Minnesota’s radar. The Vikings would also have to give up significant draft capital to move up for Stingley if he remains in the top-five conversation.
However, Stingley has been out since October with a foot injury and has shown inconsistency over the past two years amid coaching changes that could hurt his draft value as teams solidify their draft needs after the season.
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Vikings Need a Shutdown Corner
Despite surrounding Harrison Smith with three new starting cornerbacks and starting safety Xavier Woods, the secondary has shown little improvement from a year ago, currently ranking 27th in yards allowed per pass attempt (8.9), per ESPN.
The Vikings defense hasn’t had a lockdown corner on the outside since Xavier Rhodes in 2017. Leaving Rhodes on an island allowed Mike Zimmer to disguise coverages and scheme safety blitzes.
Smith roamed free, tallying five interceptions, 1.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss in his only All-Pro season. Smith presented problems beyond the stat sheet as a versatile weapon as a central cog in the secondary.
Securing a lockdown corner adds new dimensions to the defense and could allow Smith to roam once again free.