{"id":743061,"date":"2026-02-10T19:06:18","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T19:06:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/743061\/"},"modified":"2026-02-10T19:06:18","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T19:06:18","slug":"vikings-speculated-to-acquire-young-talented-defender","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/743061\/","title":{"rendered":"Vikings Speculated to Acquire Young Talented Defender"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"Brian\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Vikings defensive coordiantor Brian Flores<\/p>\n

The 2026 NFL<\/a> Draft is a little over two months away. The Minnesota Vikings<\/a> will be on the clock at 18th overall, and there\u2019s a multitude of directions they could go.<\/p>\n

For seemingly eons now, the Vikings have needed a corner. Other than Xavier Rhodes in 2013, the team has never been able to draft a true franchise corner. They tried most recently in 2015 with Trae Waynes, and 2020 with the late Jeff Gladney.<\/p>\n

If the Vikings are to draft a corner in the first round this year, it would be the first time since when they took said Gladney. In\u00a0PFF\u2018s post-Super Bowl mock draft<\/a>, they had Minnesota doing just that.<\/p>\n

Clemson CB Avieon Terrell Mocked to Vikings at 18th Overall\"Minnesota<\/p>\n

GettyCLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA \u2013 NOVEMBER 08: Avieon Terrell #8 of the Clemson Tigers<\/a> reacts after a play during the second half of a football game against the Florida State Seminoles at Memorial Stadium on November 08, 2025 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Pro Football Focus\u00a0justified the selection of Terrell in their recent post-Super Bowl mock draft.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Vikings have finished outside the top 15 of team PFF coverage grade in each of the past six seasons and need plenty of help in their secondary. Terrell\u2019s 90.6 PFF overall grade over the past two seasons ranked fifth among all Power Four cornerbacks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lance Zierlein of\u00a0NFL.com<\/a> provided a nice write-up of Avieon Terrell in a draft profile.<\/p>\n

\u201cAvieon shares the same bloodlines and coverage temperament as his brother, A.J., a first-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons<\/a> in 2020. Avieon Terrell is an athletic, fluid mover with clean transitions and enough speed to stay in phase on most vertical routes. He\u2019s most effective in press-man coverage, where he mirrors releases with timing and discipline, staying crowded to the route. <\/p>\n

He concedes 50\/50s to bigger targets at times, but is a constant catch irritant with good technique on all three levels. He can play wide or inside and is willing in run support, but he lacks ideal size. Terrell projects as an early starter thanks to his polish, ball skills and coverage versatility.\u201d<\/p>\n

Terrell would join a cornerback room that is in dire need of young talent. As of now, Minnesota boasts a corner grouping of Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers Sr., and a bunch of UDFA\u2019s behind them, not including pending free agents.<\/p>\n

Former Minnesota OL Coach Chris Kuper Replaces Jeff Stoutland in Philly\"Minnesota<\/p>\n

GettyDENVER, CO \u2013 OCTOBER 13: Offensive linemen Justin Boren #65 and Chris Kuper #73 of the Denver Broncos<\/a> prpeare to protect the line of scrimmage for quarterback Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos as the face the Jacksonville Jaguars at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on October 13, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos defeated the Jaguars 35-19. (Photo by Doug Pensinger\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Chris Kuper has extremely large shoes to fill<\/a>. The Eagles\u2019 offensive line has been the NFL\u2019s gold standard for a long time now. The Vikings\u2019 offensive line hasn\u2019t exactly been considered a great unit over the last four years.<\/p>\n

In 2025, the Vikings offensive line had a 69.1 pass blocking PFF grade, 14th in the league. They also boasted a 82.6 run blocking grade, 13th in the NFL. This is decently impressive, as there were injuries all over the offensive line last season. Christian Darrisaw obviously wasn\u2019t 100% all year coming off a torn ACL, Ryan Kelly fought concussions all year long, and Brian O\u2019Neill was consistently banged up.<\/p>\n

The hate against Kuper may have been a little overblown, but\u00a0PFF grades<\/a>\u00a0don\u2019t tell the whole story. There were a lot of times last season where whoever was playing QB that week was pressured immediately.<\/p>\n

Also in fairness, J.J. McCarthy didn\u2019t do a lot in his first six starts in 2025 to make the offensive line look great.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tBrevan Bane<\/a> Brevan Bane is a sports scribe covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals. Brevan began his writing career by making a platform on Twitter and leveraging his presence into writing and content creation opportunities for outlets like PurplePTSD, Vikings Territory, The Noise, Hockey Wilderness, and the VikesNow YouTube channel. You can follow him on X @brevmanbane. More about Brevan Bane<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Vikings\n\t\t<\/p>\n

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