Heading into the 2020 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings have multiple holes that need to be addressed. This week on KFAN.com, there will be a series of draft prospects being highlighted before the draft starts on Thursday night.
To this point in the offseason, the Vikings have lost a lot more than they have gained in the free agency market. With the losses of some key pieces in the secondary, the cornerback position is going to be one of the biggest positions of need throughout the entire draft.
The top five cornerbacks on the depth chart are listed as: Mike Hughes, Kris Boyd, Holton Hill, Mark Fields and Nate Meadors. There is some talent in this group, but it seems extremely unlikely the team heads into the 2020 season with just these names on their depth chart.
Mackensie Alexander is one of the names that was lost to free agency, so a new nickel cornerback could be addressed at some point of the draft. Hughes has spent some time at the nickel position, but he might have to play more on the outside while being the only cornerback on the roster with significant playing time.
Amik Robertson would be a mid-round pick for the Vikings and he would bring with him a chip on his shoulder. He plays extremely physical in the run game and would be able to replace Alexander at the nickel position. His biggest downside is his size, coming in at 5’9 172 pounds. Even though he isn’t the biggest guy on the field, he has no fear of his opponents.
Physical cornerbacks are some of the most fun players to watch on film, and Robertson fits that role perfectly. Going back in time, the Vikings once had one of the best tackling cornerbacks of all time on their roster, and Robertson has drawn some comparisons to the Vikings legend.
On top of being one of the more physical corners in the run game, Robertson is also good in coverage. He plays with good closing speed and has some good ball skills as well. His size will limit him to covering slot receivers, but he has the capability to be a great nickel cornerback at the next level. If the Vikings are able to use a third or fourth round pick on Roberston and pair him with an early round cornerback, the secondary would look to have a bright future.
Stay tuned for more draft profiles coming throughout this week on KFAN.com. The profiles will be addressing positions of need for the Vikings, and there will also be reaction pieces available after each day of the draft.