In the leadup to the 2024 NFL Draft, Vikings.com is taking a look at prospects who have garnered a range of attention from national outlets. The series will include rankings by those national outlets, stats and background information for multiple prospects.
Vikings status at cornerback
The Vikings signed Shaq Griffin during free agency, and Head Coach Kevin O'Connell said at the Annual League Meeting that likely means the Vikings will have Byron Murphy, Jr., focus more on defending the slot. Murphy signed during 2023 free agency and started all 14 games he played before a season-ending injury at Cincinnati sidelined him.
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Mekhi Blackmon logged significant snaps (435 on defense) as a rookie in 2023. Minnesota also has 2022 picks Andrew Booth, Jr., and Akayleb Evans set to return for their third pro seasons. Booth has started a game in each season and totaled 256 defensive snaps so far. Evans started 15 games for Minnesota in 2023 but had some ups (three forced fumbles and his first career interception) and downs (key touchdowns allowed against the Chargers and Bengals).
Jaylin Williams (24 defensive snaps and 27 special teams snaps in 2023), Joejuan Williams (48 defensive snaps and 14 special teams snaps) and NaJee Thompson (1 defensive and 195 special teams snaps) are all back.
Minnesota also added A.J. Green III, who played in 34 games for the Browns from 2020-23.
Expert rankings
NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah currently has seven cornerbacks in his Top 50: 9. Terrion Arnold, 13. Quinyon Mitchell, 25. Cooper DeJean, 28. Ennis Rakestraw, Jr., 31. Nate Wiggins, 36. Kool-Aid McKinstry and 50. Max Melton.
ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr., has four cornerbacks in his overall Top 25: 13. Mitchell, 19. Arnold, 21. DeJean and 23. Wiggins.
Rankings for cornerbacks by Jeremiah, his NFL Media counterpart Bucky Brooks, Kiper, analytics site Pro Football Focus and The Athletic's Dane Brugler are listed below.
Prospects
Note: Heights and weights are from each player's profile on NFL.com (linked for each player's name).
School: Alabama | Year: R-Soph. | Ht: 6-foot | Wt: 189 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Daniel Jeremiah: CB1
Bucky Brooks: CB1
Mel Kiper, Jr.: CB2
Pro Football Focus: CB4
Dane Brugler: CB1
2023 stats: 14 games; 63 tackles (40 solo), 6.5 TFL, 1.0 sack, 1 FF, 5 INT, 12 PBU
Source of inspiration: Arnold played football and basketball at Florida State University High School but suffered a broken ankle in 2018. Former FSU two-sport star Charlie Ward (Arnold's high school basketball coach) convinced him to keep playing football.
School: Toledo | Year: Senior | Ht: 6-foot | Wt: 195 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Daniel Jeremiah: CB1
Bucky Brooks: CB2
Mel Kiper, Jr.: CB1
Pro Football Focus: CB2
Dane Brugler: CB2
2023 stats: 13 games; 40 tackles (31 solo), 1 TFL, 1 INT, 18 PBU, 1 blocked kick
Record and rarity: Mitchell recorded a school-record 46 career pass breakups, breaking the mark of 42 by Samuel Womack from 2017-21. He became the second Rocket and first since DL Mel Long, Sr. (1970-71) to be named All-America in consecutive seasons.
School: Iowa | Year: Junior | Ht: 6-foot-0 1/2 | Wt: 203 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Daniel Jeremiah: CB3
Bucky Brooks: N1 (Nickel — Brooks created a separate category this year)
Mel Kiper, Jr.: CB3
Pro Football Focus: CB1
Dane Brugler: CB4
2023 stats: 10 games; 41 tackles (26 solo), 2 TFL, 2 INT, 7 PBU
Trifecta for Hawkeyes No. 3: DeJean recorded five interceptions in 2022 and took three back for touchdowns, setting a school single-season record. His scores were 45 yards at Rutgers, 32 yards against Wisconsin and 14 against Kentucky (Music City Bowl).
School: Clemson | Year: Junior | Ht: 6-foot-1 | Wt: 173 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Daniel Jeremiah: CB5
Bucky Brooks: CB3
Mel Kiper, Jr.: CB4
Pro Football Focus: CB3
Dane Brugler: CB3
2023 stats: 10 games; 29 tackles (23 solo), 1 TFL, 1.0 sack, 2 FF, 2 INT (1 INT return TD), 8 PBU
Twice is nice: Wiggins became the first Tigers player since Rex Varn (1978-79) to record a pick six in consecutive seasons. He set an ACC Championship Game record with a 98-yarder in 2022 and notched a 46-yard return score last season.
School: Missouri | Year: R-Junior | Ht: 5-foot-11 | Wt: 183 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Daniel Jeremiah: CB4
Bucky Brooks: CB5
Mel Kiper, Jr.: CB8
Pro Football Focus: CB9
Dane Brugler: CB7
2023 stats: 9 games; 35 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 FF, 3 PBU
"Controlled fury": Brooks credited Rakestraw's "toughness, tenacity and technique" that make him a "coach's dream as a standout cover corner." He added the Texas native "overwhelms opponents with his physicality and aggressiveness but plays with a controlled fury that enables him to maintain his focus in high-pressure moments."
School: Alabama | Year: Junior | Ht: 5-foot-11 1/2 | Wt: 199 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Daniel Jeremiah: CB6
Bucky Brooks: CB4
Mel Kiper, Jr.: CB6
Pro Football Focus: CB5
Dane Brugler: CB5
2023 stats: 14 games; 32 tackles (24 solo); 2 TFL, 7 PBU
Nickname with game: Named Ga'Quincy at birth, McKinstry garnered his nickname from his maternal grandmother, who said he had a "Kool-Aid smile" from birth. As a freshman at Pinson Valley High School, he primarily played receiver and was targeted by fellow 2024 NFL Draft classmate Bo Nix. McKinstry shifted to defense after an injury. He helped his school win three state titles and was named Alabama's Mr. Football and USA Today Male Athlete of the Year in 2020.
School: Rutgers | Year: Senior | Ht: 5-foot-11 | Wt: 187 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Daniel Jeremiah: CB7
Bucky Brooks: N3
Mel Kiper, Jr.: CB9
Pro Football Focus: Not Ranked (in PFF's Top 10 cornerback prospects)
Dane Brugler: CB11
2023 stats: 12 games; 32 tackles (21 solo), 4 TFL, 1.0 sack, 1 FF, 1 FR, 3 INT, 6 PBU
Athletic family: Melton is the younger brother of Bo Melton, a former Scarlet Knight who was picked by the Packers in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Their dad Gary played receiver and running back at Rutgers (1987-91), and their mother Vicky competed on the women's basketball team (1989-93).
School: Iowa State | Year: Senior | Ht: 6-foot-1 | Wt: 189 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Daniel Jeremiah: Not Ranked (among Top 50 overall prospects)
Bucky Brooks: Not Ranked (among Top 6 cornerbacks or nickel prospects)
Mel Kiper, Jr.: CB5
Pro Football Focus: CB6
Dane Brugler: CB8
2023 stats: 12 games; 44 tackles (33 solo), 3 TFL, 2 INT, 7 PBU
Across the line: Tampa, who grew up near Atlanta but finished his high school in St. Petersburg, Florida, was initially recruited by the Cyclones as a receiver, but a travel delay during a campus visit prompted him to have a workout with defensive backs, and coaches led him to switch his focus.
School: Michigan | Year: Senior | Ht: 5-foot-9 | Wt: 182 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Daniel Jeremiah: Not Ranked (in Top 50 overall prospects)
Bucky Brooks: N2
Mel Kiper, Jr.: CB10
Pro Football Focus: CB7
Dane Brugler: CB6
2023 stats: 15 games; 44 tackles (26 solo), 5 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 2 FF, 6 INT (2 returned for TDs), 6 PBU
Big-game Mike: Sainristil forced two fumbles against Iowa in the 2023 Big Ten Championship and set a record for the longest interception return (81 yards) in CFP National Championship Game history. That runback, which didn't score, pushed his interception return yardage for the season to 232, a single-season school record. Sainristil recorded pick sixes of 71 yards against Rutgers and 72 yards at Michigan State last year.
School: Georgia | Year: Junior | Ht: 5-foot-11 1/2 | Wt: 186 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Daniel Jeremiah: Not Ranked (in Top 50 overall prospects)
Bucky Brooks: N4
Mel Kiper, Jr.: CB7
Pro Football Focus: CB8
Dane Brugler: CB10
2023 stats: 14 games; 37 tackles (21 solo), 3.5 TFL, 0.5 sack, 8 PBU
Playing up: Lassiter joined a flag football league at age 3 and then jumped up to a tackle football league for 6-year-olds the following year in Savannah, Georgia. After his family moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Lassiter made the American Christian varsity squad as a 14-year-old freshman who weighed 145 pounds.
View photos of Vikings players during the first week of offseason workouts at the TCO Performance Center.
Vikings status at safety
Safety again figures to be one of the deepest positions for the Vikings, continuing the efforts of a strong group that flourished with Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores in 2023.
Harrison Smith reworked his contract to come back for a 13th season with the Vikings.
He'll be joined by 2021 fourth-rounder Camyrn Bynum, who has logged 2,283 defensive snaps in the past two seasons, and Josh Metellus, a 2020 sixth-round success story thanks to his versatility, IQ and toughness.
The group also includes 2022 first-round pick Lewis Cine, 2023 fourth-round pick Jay Ward and Theo Jackson, who first joined Minnesota in 2022 and has played 144 defensive snaps and 535 special teams snaps.
Expert rankings
NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah did not list a safety in his overall Top 50.
ESPN's Mel Kiper, Jr., also did not list a safety in his Top 25.
Rankings for safeties by NFL Media's Bucky Brooks, analytics site Pro Football Focus and The Athletic's Dane Brugler are listed below.
Prospects
Note: Heights and weights are from each player's profile on NFL.com (linked for each player's name).
School: Minnesota | Year: Senior | Ht: 6-foot-1 | Wt: 199 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Bucky Brooks: S1
Mel Kiper, Jr.: S2
Pro Football Focus: S1
Dane Brugler: S3
2023 stats: 12 games; 53 tackles (34 solo), 1 TFL, 1.0 sack, 1 FF, 1 FR, 5 INT, 4 PBU
Distinguished marks: Nubin played in 55 career games at Minnesota, setting a school record with 13 career interceptions and finishing tied for eighth in school history with 24 pass breakups. He also garnered Academic All-Big Ten honors four times.
School: Georgia | Year: Junior | Ht: 5-foot-10 1/2 | Wt: 198 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Bucky Brooks: S2
Mel Kiper, Jr.: S1
Pro Football Focus: S2
Dane Brugler: S2
2023 stats: 12 games; 56 tackles (39 solo), 1 TFL, 2 INT, 5 PBU
Interesting comparison: In the draft bio for Bullard, NFL Media's Lance Zierlein compared him to Josh Metellus, noting he has traits that could help him make an impact as a big nickel.
School: Washington State | Year: R-Soph. | Ht: 6-foot-2 | Wt: 211 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Bucky Brooks: Not Ranked (in Top 6 safety prospects)
Mel Kiper, Jr.: S4
Pro Football Focus: S3
Dane Brugler: S1
2023 stats: 12 games; 79 tackles (49 solo), 6 TFL, 2.5 sacks, 1 FF, 2 INT, 6 PBU
Party of 5: Hicks is one of five children in his family. He has three sisters and a brother, Kalen, who played defensive back at Hawaii, in the Indoor Football League (Las Vegas) and in the CFL (Edmonton).
School: USC | Year: Junior | Ht: 6-foot-2 | Wt: 188 pounds
Experts' Position Rankings
Bucky Brooks: S3
Mel Kiper, Jr.: S6
Pro Football Focus: S5
Dane Brugler: S8
2023 stats: 12 games; 61 tackles (42 solo), 2 INT, 9 PBU
Ballhawk season: Bullock recorded five interceptions during his sophomore season, which ranked 11th in FBS in 2022 and were the most by a USC player since Adoree' Jackson recorded five in 2016.
