In the first and second part of this series, we profiled a group of cornerbacks who could fit the mold of what the Minnesota Vikings want on defense. While selecting one of those backs could fill a hole in the starting lineup, the Vikings still need depth at the position.
As the Vikings have a majority of their picks in the later rounds, there’s a good chance they’ll take a flier late on a project or someone who could contribute on special teams. The odds of landing a shutdown corner later aren’t great, but there are some names to keep an eye on as the draft winds down.
Lamar Jackson (Nebraska)
Jackson might be one of the most popular prospects in this class because he shares a name with the league’s reigning MVP, but he’s a solid developmental project that could turn into a player with coaching.
Jackson’s biggest strength is his size as he stands at 6’2″ and 208 pounds. By just getting in a player’s way, he significantly alters routes which makes him a physical corner that Mike Zimmer would appreciate.
While his size and physicality are great, his quickness is a bit of a problem. His 4.56-second 40-yard dash isn’t bad, but can be an issue against faster receivers like the ones he’ll see at the NFL level. If his tape against the Gophers last October is a thing to come, the Vikings may want to pass, but he has enough to be a solid prospect under Zimmer’s guidance.
Darnay Holmes (UCLA)
Stuck in a rough situation at UCLA, Darnay Holmes didn’t have the junior season that he would have liked. However, his size and skills may help the Vikings fill the void that was left behind with Mackensie Alexander’s departure.
Scouts say one of Holmes’ biggest strengths is his fluidity on the field, which makes things look easy at times. As he’s able to match quick receivers down the field, he also adds a sense of physicality that would work on today’s slot receivers in the NFL.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o1f4Uy9Gn8
Holmes’ issues are that he’s usually an all-or-nothing corner, scouts say. There are times where he shuts opposing receivers down and others where he just gets blown away for wide-open scores. To that, PFF charged Holmes with 14 touchdowns allowed during his three years with the Bruins.
Although his lows are really low, his highs are really good, which could make him worth a flier in the middle rounds.
Josiah Scott (Michigan State)
Focusing on the Vikings’ search for a slot corner, Scott figures to be one of the best slot corner prospects in this draft. His size (5’9″, 185 pounds) isn’t what Zimmer looks for, but his quickness is enough to make up for it.
The one thing that defines Scott is consistency. PFF charted Scott with one catch or fewer allowed in half of his career games and with just nine missed tackles on 108 attempts, he’s not going to keep his coaches up at night.
Scott got better with each year in East Lansing and as one of the younger prospects in the class, he has plenty of upside to grow with the position at the NFL level.
