National Football League

Vikings turn to CB Waynes with first-round draft pick

Published Apr. 30, 2015 9:24 p.m. ET

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EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- In the end, Rick Spielman and the Minnesota Vikings didn't pass up their chance to select the first cornerback in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Trae Waynes was too good for Minnesota to pass up with the trade offers not matching the expectation.

Eschewing offers, the Vikings picked Waynes with the 11th overall pick to bolster their depth in the secondary, making the 6-foot cornerback from Michigan State the highest-drafted defensive back in franchise history.

"We had Trae Waynes very high on our draft board and some of the offers that we potentially had to trade down, we didn't feel that the value is there," Spielman, Minnesota's general manager said. "So, as much as you like to do some movement and things like that, when there is a player there that you covet and figuring on how far you can move down, and potentially losing that player, it's not always worth it just to make a trade to make a trade."

Spielman made it known he was willing to move down from No. 11 in his annual pre-draft press conference. Spielman didn't see much of a talent gap in the players rated from seven to 20 and hoped to add more picks from the seven the Vikings have in the draft.

Minnesota ultimately passed on the offers for the right to take the first defensive back in the draft and the fourth defensive player off the board.

Waynes, 22, was a two-year starter for the Spartans, with 96 tackles and six interceptions the past two seasons in the Big Ten. The lanky cornerback was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe award, given to the top defensive back in college football, last season.

"He's got great speed. He's 4.31 (in the 40-yard dash). He's 6-foot. It's hard to find 6-foot corners nowadays," Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. "There's a few in this draft this year. But to get big corners that can run and have good change of direction, they're hard to find."

Waynes was generally regarded as the top cornerback in the draft coming from Michigan State. He has the length the Vikings desired at 6-foot with 31-inch arm length. Waynes was the first of four cornerbacks selected in the first round.

Wake Forest's Kevin Johnson went No. 16 to Houston. Washington's Marcus Peters was drafted 18th by the Kansas City Chiefs and Connecticut's Byron Jones, a star of the combine, went 27th to Dallas.

"Felt they were all very talented, but I think when you add everything that goes along with (Waynes), not only the player that you see on the field, but also the character, the work ethic," Spielman said. "Just going down and checking all the boxes, Trae Waynes hit every box we were looking for when we draft a Minnesota Viking player."

Spielman and Zimmer emphasized the importance of Wayne's character and work ethic. Waynes perhaps stood out in a draft filled with players facing off-field concerns.

"To me it's extremely important that you have guys with great character, great leadership, great competitors and then obviously the athletic ability that he has," Zimmer said. "So, that's always been big to me. Everybody says I love corners, and I guess maybe I do, but I love good football players more than I love corners. I felt like he could help us a whole lot in a lot of different ways."

Waynes, a Kenosha, Wis. native, fits Zimmer's defensive scheme and will pair with Xavier Rhodes to give Minnesota a young set of tall cornerbacks to face the big receivers and high-volume passing games in the NFC North.

Watching the Chicago Bears add West Virginia receiver Kevin White with the seventh-overall pick, only emphasized the continued need to add at cornerback.

"I was glad they didn't take Waynes," Zimmer said of Chicago's pick. "I mean it's nice to be able to have height against height. You can probably write it down, we're not going to take any 5-9 corners here. Rick . . . we've talked about that many times because I like big guys."

Zimmer likes the length Waynes provides and said he has no concerns over the cornerback's 186-pound frame.

"I think its natural prototype for corners at 185 pounds that's starters in the league," Zimmer said. "He's got good height, good speed. I don't worry about 186. I worry about if they can cover."

Along with Josh Robinson and veterans Captain Munnerlyn and Terence Newman, the Vikings have depth at the position. Zimmer is also known for his work with defensive backs. Rhodes and Robinson, in particular, developed last year under Zimmer and defensive backs coach Jerry Gray.

Waynes called Zimmer a "guru" for defensive backs on a conference call with Minnesota media after being drafted.

"He's a good coach, he knows what he's talking about," Waynes said, later adding: "He coached up Deion (Sanders). He coached up some other good corners, as well. If he can make me half the players Deion Sanders was, I think it will be pretty good."

Zimmer wouldn't say if he expects Waynes to start right away. Spielman said Waynes won't be forced into starting before he's ready, though.

Munnerlyn will likely focus on playing in the slot this season and Robinson was the team's outside cornerback in the nickel defense last year. Newman, who has played for Zimmer in Dallas and Cincinnati, was signed in free agency.

"We have a lot of depth at corner right now," Spielman said. "Corners take some time to develop. He's not going to be pushed into starting right away. That will be determined as we go through the offseason program, as we go through training camp, how quickly he comes along. But we also have the luxury with the depth that we have at (the) cornerback position; and if he's ready, the coaches will determine when he's ready."

Spielman had offers to move down, but wasn't enticed enough to risk losing Waynes.

"I just felt the value of the player, it would have taken a pretty good compensation for us to do something," Spielman said.

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