The Minnesota Vikings took a clear stance in the direction that they want to go. Their number one goal is to set up their quarterback J.J. McCarthy for success, especially after they traded up for him in the 2024 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, he missed his entire rookie campaign due to a torn meniscus he suffered following the preseason opener. This would make him the first quarterback drafted in the first round to miss their entire rookie season due to an injury. With Sam Darnold moving on from the Vikings to join the Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota is doing whatever it can to put J.J. in a position to succeed as their franchise starting quarterback.
The Vikings' plan to ensure McCarthy’s success was by heavily focusing on offense this offseason. They signed two former Indianapolis Colts in center Ryan Kelly and guard Will Fries, to guarantee that Minnesota has one of the better offensive lines in the league. In the 2025 NFL Draft, they leaned offense-heavy with their first two selections being on that side of the ball, drafting guard Donovan Jackson and wide receiver Tai Felton.
While I’m all for protecting your quarterback and giving them as many talented weapons as possible, there is a fine line between protecting your prized asset and weakening other parts of your roster. This can become problematic when it creates an incredible amount of uncertainty heading into training camp. This is the case with the Vikings' secondary.
Vikings secondary woes
In recent memory, the Minnesota Vikings' defense has been the soft spot of the team. However, it did make a massive jump last season. This was thanks to defensive coordinator Brian Flores' defensive schemes. Additionally, Jonathan Grenard and Andrew Van Ginkel registered over 10 sacks each, and cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. and safety Camryn Bynum were coming into their own.
That said, it does seem that the defensive unit will regress massively, as free agency has wreaked havoc on this secondary. As they lost two of their corners in Stephon Gilmore and Shaquille Griffin, they also lost their young rising safety Camryn Bynum.
Minnesota did little to address these departures during the draft, selecting no players in the secondary and only drafting defenders on Day 3 of the draft.
While they did sign a few corners in free agency, it doesn’t seem that any of them are poised to be next to Byron Murphy Jr., as the cornerback two for this team. This offseason, they signed Jeff Okudah, Isaiah Rodgers, and Tavierre Thomas. Right now, none of them have been proven capable of stepping up.
Perhaps they are waiting for the return of cornerback Mekhi Blackmon, who they drafted in 2023. Mekhi suffered a torn ACL in July of last year and would miss the entirety of his second season. He showed some promise in his 2023 season, nabbing his first career interception in week 10 in a win against the New Orleans Saints. However, the Vikings are putting too much pressure on the former third-round pick, as some athletes never are the same following an ACL tear.
What could be more concerning is how empty their safety room is. The Vikings currently have two veteran safeties in Harrison Smith and Josh Metellus, but this may not be enough. Brian Flores was known for using three safeties a lot last season. The reason is that it adds a lot more versatility to their defense. Unfortunately, with the current guys they have lined up, it doesn’t really look possible. Could they trust a guy like Theo Jackson? I wouldn’t necessarily count on it. It might be best to sign a veteran to fill that role.
Free Agent saviors
The Vikings could look at a few corners to pair up with Byron Murphy Jr.. They could go after a few names such as James Bradberry, Kendall Fuller or Rasul Douglas, but those corners are clearly past their prime and coming off major injuries.
While Minnesota could reunite with Stephon Gilmore, he will be turning 35 by the beginning of the season, and isn't as reliable as he once was. The best corners that the Vikings should target are Asante Samuel Jr. and Mike Hilton. Asante is still recovering from a shoulder injury he suffered in 2024, but he is set to return for the 2025 season. However, it may not be worth it to take a bet that he will return to his former healthy form. The best bet would be to sign Mike Hilton. He’s one of the more underrated slot cornerbacks and can be easily utilized in blitz packages. Byron Murphy Jr. already has some experience playing outside corner, so he can easily kick back out there to have a seamless fit.
The more pressing issue is the safety depth of this team. While everyone’s first instinct would be to sign former Atlanta Falcons safety Justin Simmons, it may not be the best move for them. His age is starting to show, as last season was by far his worst performance, with the highest missed tackle percentage of his career. Plus, he primarily plays free safety, while the Vikings' depth issues are more at strong safety. The best fit for this team would be former Indianapolis Colt Julian Blackmon. Blackmon is still young enough, at 26 years old, where his production falling off won’t be a concern. He’s played all over the field in his career, taking snaps as a free safety, as a box safety and even at slot corner. He’s a versatile chess piece that I’m sure Brian Flores would love to have.
Whatever it is the Minnesota Vikings end up doing, they better make it quick, as the Vikings training camp is set to start on July 22nd. It’d be best to secure their secondary unit before then and answer any remaining questions that they may have, especially if they want to match last year's 14-3 season.