Top 10 Minnesota Vikings Cornerbacks
1. Antoine Winfield (2004-12)
2. Xavier Rhodes (2013-19)
3. Carl Lee (1983-93)
4. Bobby Bryant (1968-80)
5. Nate Wright (1971-80)
6. Ed Sharockman (1961-72)
7. Dewayne Washington (1994-97)
8. Najee Mustafaa (1987-91)
9. Audray McMillian (1989-93)
10. Brian Williams (2002-05)
One of the oddities of the Vikings draft history is that a cornerback wasn’t drafted in the first round until Dewayne Washington was selected with the 18th pick in the 1994 NFL Draft. The second first-round corner was Xavier Rhodes in 2013. Adding high-end cornerbacks in the draft wasn’t a focus until Mike Zimmer was named head coach in 2014. From 2014-21, the Vikings selected three cornerbacks in the first round. Washington and Rhodes made this list. None of three more recent first-round corners did. Through the varying draft strategies, the Vikings have a modest cornerback tradition.
The free agency signing of Antoine Winfield in 2004 is one of the best in Vikings franchise history. From 2004-12, he was brilliant. It’s ridiculous that he received no postseason honors until 2008. He made the Pro Bowl from 2008-10. He should’ve made the first of a slew of Pro Bowls even before he joined the Vikings. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the 1999 NFL Draft and was brilliant as soon as he became a full-time starter in 2000. In his nine years with the Vikings, Winfield had over 90 tackles five times. That’s a big number for any corner. It’s an especially big number for a 5’9” 180lb corner. It was amazing to watch Winfield’s refined tackling in a league with so much sloppy tackling. Too many defensive backs are looking for the big hit. Winfield just wanted to wrap up and get the runner on the ground. It was wonderful to see. He should’ve been an annual All-Pro simply for his tackling. Winfield was an excellent outside corner. He was even better on the inside. With only three Pro Bowls and one 2nd-team All-Pro, Winfield will probably never get the Hall of Fame discussion he deserves. In my opinion, during an era with Ty Law, Champ Bailey, Charles Woodson, Ronde Barber, and Darelle Revis, Antoine Winfield was one of the best corners in the league. He’s an easy choice for the best corner in Vikings franchise history.
From 2015-17, Xavier Rhodes was the best corner in the league. If he’d maintained that level of play for another couple of seasons, he’d challenge Antoine Winfield for #1 on this list and (more importantly) have a strong Hall of Fame argument. He was terrific as he repeatedly shut down the best receivers in the league. He was somewhat rapid fade was sad and shocking to watch.
Like Xavier Rhodes, Carl Lee had about a three-year stretch during which he was one of the best cover corners in the league. It’s tough to separate the two. Lee was probably better for longer while Rhodes’ best years were better.
When one looks at the great Vikings defenses of the Super Bowl years, it’s easy to focus on the defensive line. From there, it’s a solid group of linebackers and Paul Krause and his crazy number of interceptions. It’s so easy to overlook skinny, 6’1” corner Bobby Bryant. It felt like opposing offenses routinely overlooked him as all he did was put together a 13-year career filled with big plays. His 51 career interception is second to Krause’s 53 in Vikings franchise history. Many of Bryant’s big plays came in the biggest games.
For most of the 1970s, Nate Wright was Bobby Bryant’s cornerback partner. Wright’s most memorable moment was probably his most forgettable moment. He was the defender that Dallas Cowboys receiver Drew Pearson shoved to the ground in the 1975 divisional playoffs. The non-flagged OPI cost one of the Vikings most talented teams another shot at the Super Bowl. Wright was much more than that one play. Despite receiving no post-season accolades, he was one of the league’s best cover corners for most of the 1970s.
Ed Sharockman is at #6 on this list mostly for his 40 career interceptions. He was the Vikings top corner from the frustrating expansion years to the early years of dominance in the late 1960s.
As the Vikings first first-round corner, Dewayne Washington was an immediate starter as a rookie. He was a solid player for all of his four years with the Vikings. I thought that he was going to be a franchise cornerstone. Instead, he left for the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency. To this day, I can’t believe that the Vikings let him get away. I know that there’s a lot we don’t now about negotiations between player and team but this one will always be a big Vikings mistake for me.
Perhaps it’s his name change from Reggie Rutland. Maybe it’s because he played only five seasons (three as a starter) for the Vikings. I always thought Najee Mustafaa was a very underrated football player. From 1989-91, he and Carl Lee were an excellent corner pair.
I’m actually not sure which player is more underrated. Najee Mustafaa or Audray McMillian. McMillian followed Mustafaa as the starter opposite Carl Lee. Due to his eight interceptions and two pick-6s, McMillian was named 1st-team All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl in 1992.
Perhaps Earsell Mackbee, John Turner, Cedric Griffen, or the ageless Terence Newman might be the better choice for this list than Brian Williams. Like Dewayne Washington, I felt like the Vikings let a very good corner get away in free agency. I really liked the potential of an Antoine Winfield-Brian Williams corner pairing.
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