National Football League

Can Vikings find cornerback help in NFL Draft?

Updated Apr. 26, 2022 6:05 p.m. ET

The Minnesota Vikings, at 12th overall, have their highest first-round draft pick in seven years.

After making major offseason changes to the front office and the coaching staff, they decided not to start over with the roster.

That’s the ideal scenario for a true best-player-available approach. Come next weekend, though, it will be difficult for the new leadership of general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell to ignore a particularly persistent need.

The proven cornerbacks that O’Connell’s predecessor, Mike Zimmer, often said he could never have enough of remain in short supply after the end of Zimmer’s eight-year run.

Bringing back Patrick Peterson for a second season in purple and a 12th year in the NFL was a vital offseason move. Signing former Green Bay Packers slot man Chandon Sullivan was another boost. Nate Hairston, another free agent pickup, added depth. Cameron Dantzler and Kris Boyd are back, the story of their careers not yet written.

Further upgrades in the draft, however, are a must for a team that ranked 28th and 25th the past two seasons in passing yards allowed.

"We wanted to add football players: guys with cover skill sets that can tackle, playing multiple spots," O’Connell said. "Really, our defense is going to be about finding those pieces that fit."

This draft is top-heavy with edge rushers, offensive tackles and wide receivers, which could help the Vikings. On the other hand, the consensus top two cornerback prospects — Cincinnati’s Ahmad Gardner and LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr. — will likely be gone by No. 12.

Washington’s Trent McDuffie would make sense, even after a trade to move slightly down. Or if the Vikings are enticed by an edge rusher, Florida State’s Jermaine Johnson II — a native of Eden Prairie, Minnesota — could well be available to the Vikings with their first pick on Thursday night.

They won’t be focused on the offensive tackles, for once. After using the top of the past four drafts to enhance the offensive line, that unit is no longer the burning platform it once was. Tackles Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw, guard Ezra Cleveland and center Garrett Bradbury were all taken in the first two rounds over the past four seasons.

Bradbury’s future is unclear, entering a contract year after losing his starting job for awhile in 2021. Right guard remains wide open, but three veteran free agents — Jesse Davis, Chris Reed and Austin Schlottmann — were brought in to compete with holdovers Oli Udoh and Wyatt Davis.

As O’Connell held court last month during an NFC coaches interview session at the NFL meetings, he spoke confidently about having only one or two positions unsettled going into the summer.

"There’s plenty of coaches in this room right now who are talking about two or three or four spots on the offensive line coming together," he said.

Reporting by Associated Press.