Secondary Overhaul

The recent overhaul of the Minnesota Vikings cornerback position has been even more dramatic than that of the defensive line. Just two years ago, the Vikings corner depth chart looked like this:

2012
Antoine Winfield
Chris Cook
Josh Robinson
Marcus Sherels
Brandon Burton
AJ Jefferson

Now it looks like this:

2014
Xavier Rhodes
Captain Munnerlyn
Josh Robinson
Derek Cox
Shaun Prater
Marcus Sherels
Robert Steeples
Kip Edwards

It's amazing to think that Marcus Sherels is now the senior member of the group. Fitting as his football story is pretty amazing. He was undrafted in 2010. He wasn't even signed in the wave of undrafted free agency signings following the draft. He earned a training camp invite as a result of his performance at a local tryout. He earned a spot on the team as a reliable punt returner. He's become a very effective, sometimes dangerous, punt returner. He's also provided some depth at corner. Marcus Sherels is one of those high effort, scrappy players that you love having on your football team. Now, he's the senior member of the Vikings cornerbacks. I think that new head coach Mike Zimmer will love Sherels high football effort but the senior corner is probably going to have to show that he can do more that. The next most senior member of the group is Josh Robinson. He showed some nice potential as a rookie in 2012. The Vikings tried him at nickel last season and it was a complete disaster. He never looked comfortable covering all the ground that's required of a nickel corner. He should be better off if he's allowed to stay on the outside where the sideline is your friend. As a rookie last season, Xavier Rhodes was terrific by the end of the year. If he continues to progress, his future is very bright. He looks like a franchise cornerstone. Captain Munnerlyn was an excellent free agency signing. He should provide the physical play on the outside that the Vikings have missed since Antoine Winfield was let go. Munnerlyn should start opposite Rhodes in the base defense and slide to the slot in the nickel. The wildcard in the cornerback equation is Derek Cox. Four years of solid play with the Jacksonville Jaguars earned him a big free agent contract with the San Diego Chargers last year. His one season with the Chargers was terrible. He was benched and then released. If the Vikings coaches can get him back on track, back to the promising play that he showed in his first four years in the league, they might have an impact corner. Shaun Prater was added to the roster late last season. He actually had some nice moments. Something that was rarely seen from any Vikings corner outside of Rhodes. Prater also has some previous experience with a Mike Zimmer defense. Robert Steeples and Kip Edwards spent most of the 2013 season on the Vikings practice squad.

You can never have enough corners. Rhodes and Munnerlyn make this a much better corner group than last year. A return to form of Cox could make the group a strength. I still expect the Vikings to look at corners in the draft. Perhaps even with their first round pick. Michigan St.'s Darqueze Denard and Oklahoma St.'s Justin Gilbert could have real nice value at #8. You can never have enough corners. Better players and better coaching should make this group much better.