Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Saying that the Vikings got younger at corner isn’t a major revelation. What could be a touch more fascinating rests in understanding how many years have been shaved off the corner room.
Byron Murphy Jr. is still leading the group, but the other main corner options from last season — Stephon Gilmore, Shaq Griffin, and Fabian Moreau — have all been allowed to marinate in free agency. The end result is a CB position that has gotten considerably younger in an apparent effort to find more long-term stability and present-day upside.
The Vikings’ Fountain of Youth at Corner
To be sure, we’re not talking about a collection of players who aren’t yet able to buy alcohol or vote in an election. Rather, we’re talking about players who are smack dab in the middle of their physical prime.
Murphy is perhaps the greatest example.
The well-established veteran has been in the NFL for six seasons. Already, he has digested a pair of contracts and agreed to a third. Arizona had the defender for the initial four seasons and then Minnesota has employed him for the last pair. At 27, Murphy is now moving into a three-year contract that will carry him through the remainder of his prime.
Dec 8, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. (7) intercepts a pass intended for Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts (8) during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
The CB1 thus returns to continue putting in work moving around the secondary, jumping into the slot when needed but getting plenty of work along the outside, as well. Consider the current top five — as hinted by Kwesi Adofo-Mensah not long ago — as well as their corresponding age:
CB1: Bryon Murphy Jr., 27
CB2: Isaiah Rodgers, 27
CB3: Mekhi Blackmon, 26
CB4: Jeff Okudah, 26
CB5: Dwight McGlothern, 23
Do the math. Add all the numbers together and then divide the total by five. The average corner age for that top five sits at 25.8. Pretty good, all things considered. One could almost say that it’s a great age for a GM with a binary-defying outlook — competitive rebuild, anyone? — since we’re dealing with players old enough to have picked up NFL experience and yet not so old that they’ve lost their speed, agility, and athleticism.
Imagine a Vikings bizarro world where things went differently. Minnesota’s leadership opted to run it back, bringing back the identical top five from last season. Check it out alongside the current ages:
CB1: Byron Murphy Jr., 27
CB2: Stephon Gilmore, 34
CB3: Shaq Griffin, 29
CB4: Fabian Moreau, 31
CB5: Dwight McGlothern, 23
The numbers, quite obviously, add up in a different way. The above-listed corner cluster has an average age of 28.8. The discouraging part of the reality is that McGlothern is dragging the average down be a decent bit but he’s the one who’s most unlikely to play since we’re talking about a sophomore UDFA. Removing McGlothern means the average age comes in at 30.25, darn near geriatric.
Nov 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Minnesota Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. (7) runs with the ball after making an interception against the Atlanta Falcons during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Keep in mind, folks, that the Vikings’ GM hasn’t sworn off veteran additions. Aaron Jones, a 30-year-old running back, got re-signed. Ryan Kelly (31), Jonathan Allen (30), and Javon Hargrave (32) all got added, too. And for good money, no less.
Will Fries — someone tasked with offering some “nasty” play for the Vikings — is 27, perhaps explaining the team’s willingness to hand over a five-year commitment.
The broader point, folks, is simply that the Vikings have evidently made an effort to go younger at corner even if that means embracing a bit of uncertainty. The thinking is that the combination of youth, a more ferocious pass rush, and another year of Brian Flores brilliance will be enough for the pass defense to take a step forward.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and Bluesky (@VikingsGazette). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.