5 best training camp battles for Vikings in 2019

4. No. 4 cornerback

Barring a late trade, Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes will again form a very good cornerback duo for the Vikings in 2019. Mackensie Alexander showed great progress playing in the slot down the stretch last year, so he’s locked into what is a starting job in today’s NFL. The fourth corner will not necessarily play a ton, but there’s an interesting battle looming there for Minnesota.

Mike Hughes was the Vikings’ first-round pick in 2018, he had an interception return for a touchdown in Week 1 and showed he has something to offer in the return game. But he suffered a torn left ACL in Week 6 and missed the rest of the season. He seems likely to be ready for Week 1, but there will be a lot of eyes on him during camp and preseason.

Holton Hill went undrafted for reasons other than talent in 2018. He wound up starting three games for the Vikings as a rookie and actually played pretty well (36 total tackles, seven pass breakups). But in early April, he was suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy. That necessarily puts him in the background heading into training camp, since he won’t be available until Week 5.

Kris Boyd was drafted in the seventh round of April’s draft, and Duke Thomas was signed in April after playing in the AAF. Hill’s absence into the regular season opens the door for one or both of them to make hay during camp and the preseason, and if Hughes is not quite fully recovered the door may be open to a larger role than might be expected right now.

A fourth cornerback obviously isn’t a major role if things go as planned. But injuries (fresh or recovery from), and the (albeit incredibly remote now) possibility of a trade involving Rhodes or Waynes would put who wins that job into a significant role for a Vikings’ defense that stands to remain among the best in the league.