Drafting A QB Possible, But Vikings Have Major Needs At Cornerback In 2023

As the Vikings prepare for the 2023 Draft, it is clear that the team is thing about their quarterback situation for the near-term future.

By not further extending Kirk Cousins, the team is telling their No. 1 quarterback that if he wants to stay with the Vikings, he must have a great year. That means winning at least 1 playoff game and most likely more than that.

Quarterback is one of their draft needs, and Hendon Hooker of Tennessee or Will Levis of Kentucky are both legitimate candidates if the Vikings wanted to spend a first-round draft pick on the position.

However, there are many other needs besides quarterback for a team that was of the league’s worst defensive units.

The Vikings still have a need at cornerback, defensive tackle and defensive end. The strongest of those needs is for a dependable cover man who has ideal size, defensive know-how and a skill at taking the ball away from opponents.

The top two cornerbacks in this draft include Christian Gonzalez of Oregon and Joey Porter Jr. of Penn State. Gonzalez is almost certainly the most athletic cornerback coming out this year, but Porter has the kind of physical, nasty nature that would fill a key hole for the Vikings.

Both Gonzalez and Porter are likely to be drafted by the time the Vikings select at No. 23, but there is a chance that the Penn State product could still be around. Porter has ideal size for the position, checking in at 6-2 ½ and 193 pounds.

The 4^th-year junior is the son of ex-Steelers linebacker Joey Porter Sr., and he brings a certain ferocity to his game that his father was noted for. The younger Porter finished the 2022 season with 27 tackles and 11 passes defensed, earning 2^nd-team All-America honors and was a first-team All-Big Ten player.

This is a player who has been around elite professional players throughout his life, and he will have the kind of moxie that most players take years to develop.

If Porter is not around – don’t be surprised if he is selected with the No. 16 pick by the Washington Commanders – the Vikings would be wise to go after Deonte Banks of Maryland, Emmanuel Forbes of Mississippi State or Kelee Ringo of Georgia.

Of the three, Forbes is coming off the most impressive statistical season, and his 6 interceptions with the Bulldogs should mean that he has the skills to set up receivers and find a way to take the ball away. However, Forbes lacks bulk and muscle. Just under 6-1, his 166-pound frame may be too slight to maintain an effective level of play during a full 17-game schedule.

Banks is something of a monster at 6-0 1/8 and 197 pounds. He brings an aggressive attitude that carried over to the rest of his mates in the secondary at Maryland. That’s just what the Vikings need at the position – a player who will take control and lead with his nastiness. While experienced receivers are likely to cause problems, he is able to make up for that with his explosive lower body that allows him to punish ball carriers and outleap receivers for the ball.

Ringo has played a key role for the defending back-to-back national champion Georgia Bulldogs. Ringo is a big man who plays his best against talented opponents in the biggest games. At 6-1¾ and 216 pounds, he has the ability to win the physical battle against larger wide receivers.

He is very aggressive in his defensive technique, regularly getting his hands involved to lash the ball out of a receiver’s grasp. He led Georgia in passes defensed each of the last 2 years, and 3 of his interceptions came against big-time quarterbacks in Hooker, Levis and Bryce Young.

In addition to his skills, he is a man who is ready for the moment and won’t be intimidated as he learns the ropes in the NFL.