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The Minnesota Vikings put together an undeniably strong draft by landing quarterback J.J. McCarthy and edge rusher Dallas Turner in the first round, but there are still some premier positions that can use upgrades at the top of the depth chart.
Perhaps chief among those positions is cornerback, after Minnesota struggled again in the secondary during the 2023 season. David Kenyon of Bleacher Report on Sunday, April 28 named Minnesota among the best potential landing spots for cornerback Stephon Gilmore, most recently of the Dallas Cowboys.
Stephon Gilmore has traveled an adventurous road. He spent five seasons with the Buffalo Bills and four on the New England Patriots, but he’s jumped from the Carolina Panthers to the Indianapolis Colts to the Cowboys over the last three years.
There may be a reunion in the works, too. Carolina is thin at corner and didn’t address the position on the opening two days of the draft. The Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders should be picking up the phone as well.
No matter where he lands, Gilmore should be a locked-in starter. He surrendered 6.9 yards per target with Dallas in 2023, which was his worst mark over the last six years — and it’s still pretty darn good.
Stephon Gilmore Would Upgrade Vikings Secondary Significantly, Immediately
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GettyFormer Dallas Cowboys cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
Gilmore, who will turn 34 years old in September, has played 12 seasons in the NFL. He has earned Pro Bowl honors five times over that span and has been a first-team All-Pro twice. The cornerback also won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2019.
Gilmore played out the second season of a two-year, $20 million contract with the Cowboys in 2023. Spotrac projects his market value at just $9 million over a new one-year contract, which would represent significant value for the Vikings who have just shy of $16.7 million in salary cap space for the 2024 campaign as of Sunday.
Over the course of his career, Gilmore has amassed 140 pass breakups, 31 INTs and 7 forced fumbles across 165 games played (158 starts), per Pro Football Reference.
Stephon Gilmore Isn’t Only High-End CB Still Available in Free Agency
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GettyFormer Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard.
Gilmore isn’t the only big-name cornerback still seeking a home as April leans toward May. Kenyon also named Minnesota a viable destination for former Miami Dolphins defensive back Xavien Howard, who they released this offseason in order to save $18.5 million against their salary cap.
The reason the Vikings will presumably have interest in one, or both, of the two highly-decorated cornerbacks is twofold. First, Minnesota finished 24th in the NFL last season against the pass, surrendering 3,986 yards to opponents through the air.
Secondly, the Vikings’ two starting cornerbacks — Byron Murphy Jr. and Akayleb Evans — were well-below-average performers last year, per advanced analytics calculated by Pro Football Reference (PFF). The two players finished 87th and 99th out of 127 NFL cornerbacks who played enough snaps last year to qualify for a ranking. Beyond that, Murphy has just one year remaining on his current contract, while Evans has just two seasons left on his rookie deal.
Minnesota drafted Mekhi Blackmon out of USC in the third round last season before taking Khyree Jackson out of Oregon in the fourth round on Saturday. While either, or both, could develop into long-term answers for the Vikings, betting on them as regular starters in 2024 could be a risky proposition.
The team also added veteran defensive back Shaq Griffin in the offseason on a one-year contract, though it’s clear the Vikings could use more help in the secondary before the 2024 campaign kicks off a little over four months from now.