Mel Kiper Jr. Sends Vikings More Defensive Help

The Vikings had statistically one of the elite defenses in the NFL last season but got exposed in the final two games. They seemingly struggle to stop the Lions and Rams, who handed the franchise all four losses throughout the season.

Mel Kiper Jr. Sends Vikings More Defensive Help

In the early free-agent stages, Flores already received some reinforcements for the upcoming season. Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, two former Pro Bowlers, provide a lot more upside on the interior of the line when it comes to pass rush, and the cornerback room is younger and more explosive than it was last year.

Still, ESPN’s draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. wants the team to add to the secondary in the draft and picked Jahdae Barron, a corner from the University of Texas.

Kiper Jr. wrote, “Minnesota made some big splashes in free agency as it tries to take the NFC North from the Lions. Among them were deals to re-sign Byron Murphy Jr. and bring in Isaiah Rodgers, but I’m not sure the Vikings should — or will — be done adding to the cornerback room.”

In fact, the Vikings signed Jeff Okudah a few hours after Kiper Jr.’s mock draft had been published. Still, that doesn’t rule out the selection of a cornerback.

“Barron, meanwhile, picked off five passes last season, showing his ball skills,” Kiper Jr. added. “He ran a 4.39 at the combine, showing his speed. And he played more than 600 snaps at both slot corner and outside corner over the past two seasons, showing his versatility. I really like this fit.”

After addressing pretty much every big need, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has the entire draft class at his disposal and can choose whatever he wants.

The roster doesn’t force him to pick any specific position, which has caused problems in the past. A prominent example is Laquon Treadwell when the Vikings really needed a new receiver in 2016 and picked the best one on their board. Often, QB-needy teams make that mistake, too.

However, he can pick a cornerback or a safety, add some youth to the defensive or offensive line, and perhaps even find another running back or receiver because you can never have too many weapons.

Barron would join a cornerback room that is already 11-men deep:

• Byron Murphy Jr.
• Isaiah Rodgers
• Mekhi Blackmon
• Jeff Okudah
• Tavierre Thomas
• Dwight McGlothern
• NaJee Thompson
• Ambry Thomas
• Reddy Steward
• Kahlef Hailassie
• Nahshon Wright

It’s a more youthful and faster group than last year, but Barron would be the cherry on top. He’s a fantastic athlete who turned some heads at the scouting combine when he completed the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds.

At Texas, he was a moveable chess piece, pretty much the cornerback version of Joshua Metellus for the Vikings. He played in the slot, on the outside, and even at safety at times, which sounds like a perfect guy for Flores’ unit.

PurplePTSD’s Alexander Golden wrote about the defender in January, “Barron’s combination of game-readiness, versatility, and scheme adaptability aligns perfectly with the Vikings’ defensive philosophy.”

In 57 games with the Longhorns, Barron logged 226 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, two sacks, and eight INTs (five of them came in his 2024 season).

Barron’s draft slot varies in mock drafts; some view him closer to the top ten, while others think the 24th overall pick is realistic. Besides Murphy Jr., the Vikings could use another long-term option in the cornerback room. The club hasn’t really hit on a player at the position since Xavier Rhodes over a decade ago.

Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.

Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt