Vikings Urged to Pursue 5-Time Pro Bowler to Fill Immediate Roster Need

Minnesota Vikings cornerback Mekhi Blackmon’s season-ending knee injury creates an immediate need for the team to find a competent starting cornerback — and Stephon Gilmore could fit the bill.

Inside the Vikings’ Will Ragatz named several free agents who the Vikings should pursue, with Gilmore being one of the most notable.

“Gilmore is a five-time Pro Bowler who was the league’s defensive player of the year in 2019,” Ragatz wrote. “Although he turns 34 in September and has been on four teams over the last four years, he started every game in each of the last two years and graded out well (per PFF). He still seems to have some juice left.”

Gilmore has ties to Minnesota, crossing paths with defensive coordinator Brian Flores during their time with the New England Patriots.

“For sure. Flo, he was always a great coach and very respected. He has his guys doing the right thing on the field and off the field, so it’s no surprise that they’re having success over there,” Gilmore told The Providence Journal in 2020.

Stephon Gilmore Shines vs. A.J. Brown, Still a Viable Option for Vikings to Replace Blackmon

GettyFormer Cowboys cornerback and free agent Stephon Gilmore.

Despite being traded for a fifth-round pick last season, Gilmore proved he’s worth much more, grading out as a top-30 cornerback by Pro Football Focus (PFF) and has played over 1,000 snaps each of the past two seasons.

“Gilmore’s trade from the Indianapolis Colts to the Dallas Cowboys this offseason got him back to playing contending football, and he hasn’t skipped a beat at any point as he’s moved around over the past few years,” PFF’s free agency report reads. “Gilmore still thrives in single coverage and can jostle with the more physical receivers who play through contact, timing his leap well on contested catches and jumping routes with top-end play recognition.

“A matchup with A.J. Brown in Week 14 had him playing inspired football after Brown allegedly called him old early on in the contest. Gilmore rose to the occasion and locked Brown down until the game was out of reach in the second half.”

Gilmore didn’t shut Brown out by any means — the Philadelphia Eagles star caught 7-of-9 targets for 80 yards when Gilmore was in coverage. However, Gilmore mitigated the damage done by one of the hardest tackling assignments at wide receiver, holding Brown to just 21 yards after the catch.

He also forced a fumble that helped the Cowboys run away with a 24-7 lead at halftime.

Stephon Gilmore Sends Strong NFL Message on Free Agency

GettyFormer NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore

Gilmore’s 2023 performance was enough to warrant him being on a roster this year.

However, he seems to be comfortable playing out the free agency process into training camp.

“Honestly, I’m still being patient and staying ready until teams see what they have in training camp; but you mean to tell me among 32 teams that there are 64 starting corners that are better than me?” he told NFL reporter Josina Anderson on July 16. “I don’t think that. If teams want to win, I think they should sign the best players. I know I’m still a starter in this league. I started games last year, but the season doesn’t start until September, we got a while.”

Gilmore appears adamant about waiting for a team that needs him to meet his contract expectations — and the Vikings are a team desperate for help at cornerback.

PFF predicted Gilmore to secure a one-year, $10 million contract based on his performance last season.

The Vikings currently have over $21 million in available cap space.