The New England Patriots suddenly have a thinner cornerback room, as two former New England cornerbacks are drawing interest elsewhere.
Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 reported on X that the Minnesota Vikings worked out four defensive backs: Darius Rush, Marquise Robinson, Kobee Minor and Alex Austin.
Two of those names — Minor and Austin — spent time in Foxborough, and the workouts come as the Patriots prepare to play without Carlton Davis III.
New England downgraded Davis from questionable to out Saturday due to a neck injury, leaving the team without one of its starting outside cornerbacks for Sunday’s matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Vikings Bring In Minor, Austin
Minor is the more recent departure. The Patriots selected the Memphis product with the 257th and final pick of the 2025 NFL draft, giving him the “Mr. Irrelevant” distinction.
He spent most of his rookie season on New England’s practice squad, receiving three elevations before being signed to the 53-man roster on Jan. 1. Minor appeared in four regular-season games in 2025 and recorded his first defensive snaps against the New York Jets in December. The Patriots’ official website noted that Minor finished that game with one tackle.
His second summer in Foxborough ended at roster cutdowns. New England waived Minor on Aug. 30 while trimming its roster to 53 players.
Austin had a more substantial role during his Patriots tenure. Originally a 2023 seventh-round pick by Buffalo, he moved through Houston before landing with New England during his rookie season.
The 6-foot-1 corner appeared in 29 games with six starts over his first three NFL seasons, most of that work coming for the Patriots. He also appeared in three postseason games during New England’s 2025 run.
After the Patriots didn’t tender Austin as a restricted free agent, he signed with Miami in March. The Miami Dolphins waived Austin on Aug. 29 during final cuts, sending him back onto the open market.
Patriots Look to Charles Woods With Davis Out
Davis’ situation makes the former Patriots’ workouts more noteworthy from New England’s perspective.
The veteran missed all three practices this week with a neck injury after playing 49 of the Patriots’ 50 defensive snaps in their season-opening loss to Seattle. New England officially ruled him out Saturday after initially listing him as questionable.
The Patriots are expected to turn to Charles Woods opposite Christian Gonzalez, via the team’s official website. Rookies Karon Prunty and Channing Canada are also options for additional snaps. New England didn’t elevate veteran Kindle Vildor from the practice squad Saturday.
It’s funny how things can go up in smoke so quickly in the NFL. Minor and Austin were with New England, but both were moved off the roster during the offseason.
Now, with Patriots’ cornerback depth tested as Davis will miss at least one game, the thought of having more system-knowledgeable defensive backs is comforting.
2 Former Patriots DBs Worked Out by Vikings Amidst Carlton Davis Injury