Who Makes the Final Cut in Minnesota Vikings Secondary, Who Doesn’t?

The Minnesota Vikings are set to kick off their 2024 training camp schedule. More than a few roster spots have a level of intrigue. Of course, the quarterback position is going through turnover, but the secondary may bring the most uncertainty.

Last season the Minnesota Vikings defense got a boost when Brian Flores took over for Ed Donatell. A change in coaching philosophy, and ability, made an impact on that side of the ball. There’s still a lot of room for growth, though. And there are more new faces on this squad, than old. The most familiar is the secondary… but is that a good thing?

Who rounds out the Minnesota Vikings secondary?

ESPN Staff Writer Kevin Seifert recently took a stab at an initial 53-man roster projection. Byron Murphy Jr. is the returning veteran cornerback. Murphy Jr. will start alongside free agent Shaq Griffin. The rest of the spots at the position are largely in flux. The group of five that Seifert sees stick includes Murphy Jr, Griffin, Mekhi Blackmon, Akayleb Evans, and Andrew Booth Jr.

Griffin, signed as a free agent, and Murphy are likely to be the team’s top players here. In nickel alignments, the hope is that Murphy will move inside and one of the remaining three players can reliably man the other outside spot. Evans was a starter for most of 2023 but was benched in two games late in the season.

Kevin Seifert – ESPN

Minnesota did use a fourth round draft pick on a cornerback in the form of Oregon’s Khyree Jackson. He was tragically killed in a car accident earlier this month.

Related: Vikings Rookie Khyree Jackson Dies in Car Accident — Alcohol a Possible Factor

Jackson was seen as a potential dark horse to grab significant reps, and the Vikings are now forced to deal with his loss both on and off the field. On Tuesday, they signed former fan-favorite Duke Shelley as depth, adding even more intrigue to this position battle.

Projected Vikings Cornerback Depth Chart

1. Byron Murphy Jr
2. Shaq Griffin
3. Akayleb Evans
4. Mekhi Blackmon
5. Duke Shelley
6. — CUT LINE —
7. Andrew Booth Jr.
8. Dwight McGlothern
9. A.J. Green III

Does Shelley’s signing push Andrew Booth Jr. off the final 53-man roster? A second round pick in 2022, he simply hasn’t developed according to plan. There have been reports and rumors floating around all offseason that he’s a longshot to make the roster out of camp.

Last season he played in just 13% of the defensive snaps, and he recorded just one pass defensed. With eight tackles across 17 games of action, he has been a complete non-factor. As the last guy in the group, he could be overtaken by a standout training camp performer.

What about the Minnesota Vikings safeties?

Cornerback isn’t the only area of intrigue when it comes to the Minnesota Vikings secondary. Harrison Smith and Cam Bynum are entrenched as the starting safeties. Josh Metellus has become a hybrid star at the position as well. Former first round pick Lewis Cine is a question mark though, and that phrasing might be too kind.

Josh Metellus #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/QkxfTQWd3o

— Football Analysis (@FBallAnalysisYT) December 14, 2023

Seifert projects the Vikings to carry five safeties. Those include Harrison Smith, Cam Bynum, Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson and Jay Ward. That group includes a good mix of veterans and young talent. Ultimately someone will need to emerge as a replacement for Smith, in the not-too-distant future. It was supposed to be Cine… who’s now unlikely to make the roster.

Three players from this group are likely to be starters — Smith, Metellus and Bynum. The Vikings crafted a unique role last season for Metellus that was less safety and more hybrid linebacker. This list does not include 2022 first-round pick Lewis Cine, who has played only 10 defensive snaps in two seasons due to injuries and other issues. He finished last season as the team’s sixth safety.

Kevin Seifert – ESPN

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made Cine his first ever draft pick as the general manager for Minnesota. The former Georgia standout has failed to launch, and his run may be over.

Related: Light Bulbs Just Aren’t Turning On for Lewis Cine or Andrew Booth Jr.

After suffering a significant injury during his rookie season, nothing Cine has been able to do since has gotten his career back on track. As a cut candidate, it may behoove the Vikings to look for a trade partner rather than just sending Cine packing.

Projected Vikings Safety Depth Chart

1. Harrison Smith
2. Cam Bynum
3. Josh Metellus
4. Theo Jackson
5. Jay Ward
6. — CUT LINE —
7. Lewis Cine

The Minnesota Vikings could also look to make another move, to improve their secondary. They had a ton of cap space, even before the Christian Darrisaw extension. I’d imagine they probably have even more now, unless they structured it outside of what we normally see in the NFL, which are very cap-light early on.