Minnesota Vikings Planning a Cornerback Reunion After the Draft…?

The moment NFL free agency kicked off a month ago, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah went gangbusters for the Minnesota Vikings. He went in with a strategy, picked his spots early and got many of the Vikings’ top targets signed.

When the dust settled a couple weeks later, there were over a dozen new Vikings on the roster, thanks to one of the biggest spending sprees league-wide so far this offseason. Long-term, spending in free agency every offseason is not a viable strategy for winning at the NFL level. Overpaying aging veterans usually isn’t.

If the Vikings are going to fully take advantage of JJ McCarthy’s rookie contract window, and succeed beyond it — they’ll need to start adding better, more talented players through the NFL Draft. Unfortunately, Kwesi & Co own just four picks, heading into draft week 2025.

Familiar faces could return for Minnesota Vikings

That’s not a lot of ammo for a team needing help at CB, S, WR, OL and QB (among others). Even if they trade back and collect more picks, the odds that mid-late round rookies are able to contribute in 2025 (or ever) gets less and less, the further you move back.

So undoubtedly, some positions will be strengthened between April 24 and April 26, while others will remain more glaring weaknesses. Cornerback is one room where the Minnesota Vikings could use additional talent. Could it come at No. 24, where they are currently slotted in the first round?

Ben Solak (ESPN) doesn’t think that is the best route for the Vikings to go. Why? Well, it sounds like the NFL Draft analyst/insider might have some steam. Solak writes that the Vikings actually have two starting cornerbacks from last year’s team — Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin — who are pretty much waiting in the free agency weeds, hoping that Kwesi and DC Brian Flores avoid drafting a cornerback at the top of the draft, so they can re-sign.

“I’d be more worried about the vacant snaps at cornerback left by Stephon Gilmore  and Shaquill Griffin if not for the fact that both remain unsigned. If the Vikings leave this draft with meager cornerback reinforcements, expect one or both to be re-signed.

Ben Solak – ESPN

Thus, with limited draft capital to work with, it doesn’t make much sense for the Minnesota Vikings to draft a position somewhere they can already find better, more proven talent — who can immediately slot and make your defense better. The Vikings have only one premium pick in this draft. After that, they don’t pick again until the 3rd round.

Stephon Gilmore, Shaq Griffin providing security for Vikings

Solak admits that “the Vikings’ roster is really, really good, so they don’t have any immediate needs to fill.” So more than likely, the Minnesota Vikings will go best player available. If that ends up being a cornerback, then it’s possible Griffin and/or Gilmore won’t want to come back. That’s why waiting makes sense for them.

Shaq Griffin and Stephon Gilmore both started for the Vikings in 2024, though Griffin was only used is sub packages with additional CBs. With Byron Murphy Jr. back and Isaiah Rodgers signed, they’ve already started to replace them. One more young talent could chase both away.

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Gilmore will be 35 years old but played in 15 games and had an interception with one pass defended. Griffin had a pair of picks and six passes defended. Griffin is younger at 30 years old this season, but he probably is the lesser player even with Gilmore’s age.

Stephon Gilmore could opt for retirement, if he doesn’t find a deal to his liking, but if he gets the role he wants in Minnesota, a return makes a ton of sense for both sides. We’ll see if the draft changes that, but it looks like it’ll have to be a big time CB talent who falls to them, if that’s the route they are going to go.