Vikings Snap Counts: Rookie Hill shines with Rhodes ailing
For all the Minnesota Vikings' secondary depth, head coach Mike Zimmer isn't afraid to throw a rookie cornerback into the fire.
Even an undrafted one.
Former Texas standout Holton Hill made good on the decision immediately Sunday, stepping into star cornerback Xavier Rhodes' spot midway through the fourth quarter and intercepting New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold.
Rhodes left with an ankle injury.
Targeting Hill was probably the correct call on Darnold's part with Trae Waynes patrolling the other side of the field.
One of the league's most-coveted undrafted free agents coming out of last spring's draft, Hill was tabbed as a mid-round talent, but reportedly dropped off draft boards due to some off-the-field issues.
He was ultimately on the field for 18 of the Vikings' 71 plays on defense against the Jets, finishing with two solo tackles, two passes defended and that INT.
Zimmer hasn't been shy about playing his rookies.
Fellow rookie cornerback Mike Hughes, a former first-round pick, played 79 percent of the Vikings' snaps on defense in Week 1, and was on the field for 100 percent of them by Week 5.
Hughes is out for the season after suffering a torn ACL in Week 6.
And while the Vikings eventually won 37-17, the Jets were still very much alive when Hill stepped in. The Jets had just cut Minnesota's lead to 27-17, while the Vikings' offense went three and out on their ensuing drive.
Other notes from Sunday's snap counts:
-- Danny Isidora filled in for Tom Compton at left guard after the latter went down with a knee injury, his first appearance of the season.
-- Brandon Zylstra played one snap and picked up his first career reception, a 23-yard grab in the third quarter. The Spicer, Minn., native is looking to follow in Adam Thielen's footsteps after starring at little Concordia College, then for the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos.
-- Undrafted rookies Roc Thomas (three snaps) and Mike Boone (eight snaps) continue to get looks at running back, despite Latavius Murray's effectiveness. Boone had a career-high four carries, but gained just four yards.
-- Harrison Smith's iron man streak is over. Smith was on the field for all of the Vikings' defensive snaps through six games, but missed five against the Jets. He and Eric Kendricks were the most active members of the defense, playing on 66 of 71 snaps.
-- Return specialist Marcus Sherels saw his first action of the season on defense, playing nine snaps.
-- Linebacker Kentrell Brothers also played his first two defensive snaps of the season.
OFFENSE
| PLAYER | Plays (69) | % |
| O'Neill | 69 | 100% |
| Hill | 69 | 100% |
| Remmers | 69 | 100% |
| Cousins | 69 | 100% |
| Elflein | 69 | 100% |
| Thielen | 66 | 96% |
| Diggs | 63 | 91% |
| Isidora | 61 | 88% |
| Murray | 58 | 84% |
| Rudolph | 56 | 81% |
| Treadwell | 51 | 74% |
| Morgan | 24 | 35% |
| Robinson | 8 | 12% |
| Boone | 8 | 12% |
| Compton | 8 | 12% |
| Conklin | 4 | 6% |
| Thomas | 3 | 4% |
| Ham | 2 | 3% |
| Smith | 1 | 1% |
| Zylstra | 1 | 1% |
DEFENSE
| PLAYER | Plays (71) | % |
| Smith | 66 | 93% |
| Kendricks | 66 | 93% |
| Weatherly | 62 | 87% |
| Waynes | 61 | 86% |
| Hunter | 57 | 80% |
| Rhodes | 54 | 76% |
| Barr | 51 | 72% |
| Iloka | 50 | 70% |
| Richardson | 49 | 69% |
| Alexander | 35 | 49% |
| T. Johnson | 34 | 48% |
| J. Johnson | 30 | 42% |
| Kearse | 29 | 41% |
| Harris | 26 | 37% |
| Parry | 24 | 34% |
| Wilson | 23 | 32% |
| Hill | 18 | 25% |
| Holmes | 18 | 25% |
| Gedeon | 12 | 17% |
| Sherels | 9 | 13% |
| Bower | 5 | 7% |
| Brothers | 2 | 3% |
