BR Pins Top CB as Vikings Must Have Free Agent

We are less than a month from the start of busy NFL free agency. The Minnesota Vikings have more than half of their 53-man roster to replace, and they’ve got some money to spend. Multiple spots have key players departing, and of course, there’s the Sam Darnold situation.

For years the Minnesota Vikings secondary has been a work in progress. Brian Flores got solid production from his top talents this season, but there’s a possibility he’ll see three of his starters leave. That leaves the secondary unit in relatively dire straights.

D.J. Reed can solve Minnesota Vikings cornerback question

Stephon Gilmore is closing in on retirement, and Shaq Griffin is back on the open market. Byron Murphy Jr. is going to get a hefty raise. What the Minnesota Vikings do at cornerback remains to be seen, obviously. Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport calls New York Jets corner D.J. Reed the answer.

“D.J. Reed of the New York Jets isn’t a superstar. But the 28-year-old is a quality starter who hasn’t allowed a passer rating against of 90 in any of the past five seasons. The quarterback quandary in the Twin Cities may get the headlines this spring. But it’s how the Vikings handle the secondary that will determine whether Minnesota can build on last year’s surprise success.”

Davenport on the Vikings cornerback situation (Bleacher Report)

Minnesota’s defense as a whole has been better under Brian Flores. The 4,459 yards they gave up through the air checked in 29th across the NFL, though. Even the decimated Detroit Lions defense allowed fewer yards (barely, at 4,404).

If the Minnesota Vikings are going to give themselves an opportunity to avoid a step backwards in 2025, then they’ll need strong cornerback play. Dwight McGlothern and Mekhi Blackmon, who is returning from a season-ending knee injury, are the only cornerbacks on roster for the upcoming season.

DJ Reed vs. Jefferson, Addison & the Vikings.

Final stat line:

7 targets – 2 receptions – 16 yards – 1 pbu – 2 PI penalties pic.twitter.com/dvQV8CX2mF

— Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) February 1, 2025

Reed just recently turned 29 years old. He has seven years of NFL experience splitting his time between the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, and New York Jets. Across 101 games in the NFL, he has started 70 times.

Related: Report: Vikings Eyeing CB for Franchise Tag, Not Sam Darnold

He has never picked off more than two passes in a season, and last did so in 2021. This year with the Jets, Reed went without an interception, but had 11 passes defensed. He did record 64 tackles, including four for losses, and grabbed the second sack of his career.

It seems like a pairing of Murphy Jr. and Reed would give the Minnesota Vikings a very solid foundation. Maybe they let go of Murphy Jr., and keep Camryn Bynum. They could add another veteran or two to round out the group. No matter what, though, they have to get the starting defensive situation figured out and they cannot afford to be so easy for opposing offenses to pick apart.

Free agency will shed light on MN Vikings intentions

Draft capital isn’t something that the Vikings are currently flush with. They currently have the 24th overall pick, but then don’t have another selection until the 5th round. They have two opportunities in that round, but unless general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah acquires more more, that’s it.

When free agency opens the Vikings will need to lean on their ample cap space to address holes on the roster. Cornerback is certainly top among those. So too are considerations on the interior offensive and defensive lines, as well as the running back position.

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Free agency opens roughly a month before the NFL Draft. The more answers Minnesota feels comfortable with on the open market, the less they will need to address from the collegiate ranks. So far we have seen Adofo-Mensah hit with a much higher success rate in free agency.

That’s been great, but ultimately marrying free agent signings with draft execution remains the most ideal path towards sustained success.