Getty Former Vikings cornerback Mackensie Alexander signed with the Dolphins on August 15, 2022, per his agent.
The Minnesota Vikings are in dire straights at cornerback.
Minnesota returns under a third of their defensive snaps at the position and only one regular contributor in 2020 third-round pick Cameron Dantzler.
But despite the turnover and absence of their starting trio, the Vikings are not panicking into retreading the same path they took last year to reload the cornerbacks room.
The Vikings are letting former 2016 second-round pick Mackensie Alexander walk in free agency after bringing him back for a second stint last offseason.
“I can confirm that the #Vikings have told free-agent cornerback Mackensie Alexander that they won’t be re-signing him,” Pioneer Press beat writer Chris Tomasson reported on March 17. “Source says, though, that there are several teams interested in him. Alexander played with Minnesota from 2016-19 and then returned in 2021 after a year in Cincy.”
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Alexander Was the PFF’s Worst Starting CB in 2021
The Vikings signed Alexander as the team’s primary slot cornerback for the 2021 season. And while he was readily available, he struggled immensely as a symptom of the entire unit’s abysmal 2021 season.
Alexander ranked 129th out of 129 cornerbacks that played a minimum of 20% of their team’s defensive snaps, posting an NFL-worst 40.8 Pro Football Focus (PFF) defensive grade. He allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 73.8% of their passes his way for 707 yards, four touchdowns and a 117.4 passer rating. Alexander also allowed a career-high 385 yards after the catch.
Alexander wasn’t alone in his struggles.
Bashaud Breeland, who was released after an altercation at practice in Week 15, ranked 123rd out of 129 contributing cornerbacks with a 47.2 PFF defensive grade, which was a career-low for the former Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl-winning cornerback.
Patrick Peterson, who is a free agent but has expressed interest in returning to Minnesota, ranked 63rd last season, posting a 63.0 PFF defensive grade.
The Vikings starting trio’s struggles were a summation of the defense’s inability to play complementary football. Put into a better situation, former players who have performed poorly can excel.
Former 2017 first-round pick Mike Hughes, who was traded to the Chiefs last offseason, was the 20th ranked cornerback with a 72.9 PFF defensive grade after years of paltry performance and injury troubles.
Under new defensive coordinator Ed Donatell, the Vikings embark on a transformation to a 3-4 hybrid scheme that will attempt to improve upon last year’s defense that allowed the third-most yards per game (383.6) and ninth-most points per game (25.0).
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What’s Left at Cornerback?
The Vikings cornerbacks room is bare at the moment.
Dantzler is the top returning cornerback ahead of Kris Boyd, Harrison Hand and Parry Nickerson. Camryn Bynum, a 2021 fourth-round pick, played cornerback in college but was used as a safety last season.
Minnesota connected with former Los Angeles Rams safety Darious Williams, KSTP’s Darren Wolfson reported, but Williams signed a three-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars instead.
Peterson remains unsigned and has offers from other teams, he revealed on the All Things Covered podcast on March 16.
“I stand where I stood in December,” Peterson said. “I loved everything about Minnesota. At the end of the day, the ball’s in their court now if they want me back. I’m a free agent right now and I have a couple teams that say that they’re interested, so we’ll see what happens in the next couple days.”
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Vikings Make Final Decision on Future of NFL’s Worst Starting CB From 2021: Report